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Thursday, Aug 30, 2007
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AIIMS doctors to get degrees at September 25 convocation

Aarti Dhar

They are on strike protesting against the delay in awarding degrees

— Photo: V.V. Krishnan

Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss talks to media on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: Resident doctors of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will receive their degrees on September 25. This was conveyed to Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss by AIIMS Director P. Venugopal at a meeting here on Wednesday.

The doctors at the country’s premier institute went on an indefinite strike last night to protest against the alleged delay in the award of various degrees for the past two years. This, according to the doctors, stalled the prospects of those wanting to go abroad for further studies as the foreign universities demanded original documents for admission.

According to the Ministry sources, Dr. Venugopal, who met Dr. Ramadoss here this afternoon, told him that the certificates would be awarded to the students at a convocation scheduled for September 25.

The Minister reportedly asked Dr. Venugopal to ensure that a handful of students did not resort to agitation and hold the institute to ransom.

Dr. Ramadoss asked the Director to put down this trend and take strict action against those who indulged in such activity.

Earlier, appealing to the doctors to call off their strike, the Minister blamed the institute administration for the delay in awarding the degrees to the medical students.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Dr. Ramadoss said he had received a bunch of certificates for signature bearing the signature of a person whose appointment had not been sanctioned by the AIIMS Governing Body, the highest administrative body.

In this regard, he had shot off a letter to the director, saying the certificates were “illegal” and should be signed by the “legally appointed Registrar.” The AIIMS Governing Body had appointed Dr. V.P. Gupta as the Registrar but he was transferred out of Delhi by the AIIMS administration and replaced by Dr. Sandeep Aggarwal. Dr. Venugopal had been repeatedly told by the Ministry to allow Dr. Gupta to function, but in vain.

Meanwhile, the Governing Body meeting of the AIIMS will meet on September 5.

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