AIIMS proposes to quash interviews in PhD selection process for greater transparency

NEW DELHI: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences here has proposed doing away with interviews at all stages of the PhD selection process and make it based on written examination, a step aimed at bringing greater transparency. For enabling high-impact research at the institute, the administration has further proposed to start 40-50 PhD Institute fellowship at par with Prime Minister's Research Fellows (PMRF) scheme and to apportion a budget of Rs 200 crore for the same, subject to necessary approvals from statutory committees of the AIIMS and the Government of India.

These are a part of reforms suggested by the AIIMS administration on Tuesday for the selection process for PhD and award of Institute Fellowship. During AIIMS director Dr M Srinivas' interaction with the faculty, PhD students and scientists, it has been strongly suggested that there is an emergent requirement for reforming the selection process for PhD and award of Institute Fellowship at AIIMS New Delhi, an office memorandum issued on Tuesday said.

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This is also essential to give a boost to high-quality research at the AIIMS and in turn enhance our NIRF rankings in research, it said. Also, from the said discussion, it has emerged that there is a need to have an in-house funding mechanism to increase the intake of meritorious PhD students and award Institute Fellowship. "The selection process should be completely objective, transparent and should be based on written examination (MCQs and OSCE/OSPE).

There shall not be any interview at any stage," the memorandum stated. It also said that the PhD entrance examination should be conducted biannually along with DM/MCh entrance examination at various centres of the country. "The academic section has been asked to examine the same and initiate appropriate agendas for further deliberations in the Staff Council, Academic Committee, Standing Finance Committee, to ensure an early implementation of these proposed reforms," it added.