Srinagar, Oct 07 (KNS): Scores of aspirants have questioned the engagement of senior stipendiary residents at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Soura Srinagar, with candidates claiming that neither merit nor entrance exam was used as a yardstick for the selection of candidates.

The aspirants said that on September 21 SKIMS put out a selection list for the engagement of 53 stipendiary senior resident doctors, and when the aspirants saw the list of selected candidates many raised this query that only blue-eyed candidates had been selected, especially in the department of surgery.

They said that among those selected in the surgery department, was the son of GMC principal Dr Masood Tanvir Bhat and many other blue-eyed candidates.

“According to aspirants and senior officials of SKIMS, neither the exams were conducted nor the merit was used for the selection of the candidates. The candidates were selected solely on the basis of performance in the interviews,” said.

They said that they were not asked more than three questions in the interview. “We were not asked any questions, just three simple questions and then we were asked to go home. When the results came out, we were surprised that nepotism had played a major role in the selection. The selection should have been either on the basis of examination or merit, but they neither conducted the examination nor considered the merit as a basis for the selection.”

They alleged that whole process was rigged as there was no transparency in the process. “We are not sure what was the basis of selection. If the interview was the basis, then how come there were some candidates in the selection list who we did not even see during the interview?”

The aspirants urged Lieutenant Governor to order a high-level probe into the matter and also take stock of the workings at SKIMS.

They said that the selection committee included Director, Dean, Medical Superintendent, Director of Finance and expert HOD of the department concerned.

They alleged that the HODs concerned were not present to assess their performance during the interview, raising questions whether the process for selecting 53 senior resident doctors at SKIMS was done fairly. (KNS)