Kerala: Homeo institute breaks posting norms

KOTTAYAM: The National Homeopathic Research Institute in Mental Health (NHRIMH) has allegedly violated the  norms in the appointment of  the teaching faculty. It redesignated 12 research officers as teaching faculty (six each for MD psychiatry and practice of medicine) as professors, associate professors and assistant professors without observing the rules.  The Union Ministry of AYUSH had recently elevated the institute located at Kurichy near here to the national status, which was earlier known as the Central Homeopathic Research Institute. It is the only national-level research institute in homoeopathy for psychiatry.

The ministry, in a letter dated February 2 this year, had  permitted it to start two new PG course in psychiatry and practice of medicine with 10 seats each  under section 12A of HCC Act, 1973. Schedule 7 of the Minimum Standard Regulations (MSR) 2013 specified by the Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH)  maintains that ‘‘post-graduate qualification in homoeopathy with a fixed period of teaching experience in a homoeopathic college is required for appointment to the post of professor, associate professor and assistant professor.”

The regulations also say  that the “teaching experience means teaching experience in the subject concerned in a homoeopathic college and in a medical college permitted by the central government.” The ministry had granted permission to start the two post-graduate courses on March 13 this year. The letter says  that   sufficient numbers of qualified teachers and non-teaching staff in the college and requisite staff in the hospital, as per the MSR regulations, 2013 are in position.

The letter   also says that the institute shall obtain the affiliation of the Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS). KUHS registrar M.K. Mangalam told DC that the affiliation process was going on.   The institute is yet to appoint a few of the contract staff as teachers.  The ministry has already agreed in principle for contractual appointment  for the MD psychiatry course. Dr Suhana Azeez, an official at CCH at New Delhi told DC that they had adhered to the norms while redesignating  the research officers as teaching faculty. Dr Binoy Vallabhasserry, an MD in homoeopathy repertory,  said that such appointments usually were  conducted with notifications and that  redesignation can only be conducted with the consent of the ministry of AYUSH.