Med fraternity cries foul after recruitment result
Times of India | 15 January 2026
Kolkata: The inequalities that existed in the medical education system before the clean-up post RG Kar incident are now reflected in the selection of candidates for the post of assistant professor across various disciplines in medical colleges. The medical fraternity is crying foul after several junior doctors of the North Bengal lobby found their way into the merit list.
A section of doctors who protested vociferously after the RG Kar incident expressed concerns over the fairness of the recruitment system. Among the shortlisted candidates are several controversial North Bengal lobby figures, including a suspended doctor, and one of their spouses also made it to the merit list prepared by the West Bengal Health Recruitment Board (WBHRB).
"We are not saying that everyone on the merit list is not deserving. The problems in the medical education system, which were there before the clean-up, may have contributed to this controversial merit list," said a senior doctor.
The candidates who were evaluated on a scale of 100 got 75 academic marks, 10 experience marks, and 15 marks from the interview. Out of 100, the recruitment board counted 85 marks (academic and experience) that were obtained by the candidates before the drive to clean up the medical education system was initiated. Many in the health department stated that the controversial doctors cashed in on the marks secured through their North Bengal lobby to feature on the merit list. According to sources, the experts only gave 5 marks while the rest was decided by the HRB administration members who are not doctors.
Sourav Dutta, chairman of the state-level grievance redressal committee, said: "The interview is mired in controversies. If the HRB and the directorate of medical education worked transparently, such controversies could have been avoided."
According to sources, the candidates' original documents were not verified physically. "It's a serious matter as anyone can tamper with any document or provide false evidence. NOC for senior residents working was not mandatory for appearing in the interview," said a source.
"How can a suspended doctor be allowed to appear in the recruitment process and get selected? A section of HRB members cracks the whip on the medical fraternity, and they won't be able to do so without these controversial doctors of the North Bengal lobby. We request the CM to intervene," said another senior doctor.
Manas Gumta, a professor of general surgery, said, "We demanded a transparent recruitment but that was not maintained. So, the controversial names crept in." Sajal Biswas, general secretary of Service Doctor Forum, said: "Marks of these controversial candidates were increased deliberately to recruit them as assistant professors."