Associate Professor recruitment process faces legal uncertainty:Selection and appointments to remain provisional pending final High Court decision order

The High Court has made strong remarks on a petition challenging the direct recruitment being carried out for the posts of Associate Professor at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, Jabalpur. Justice Vishal Dhagat’s bench clarified that the entire recruitment process will remain subject to the final decision on the petition. Recruitment under judicial scrutiny The court has issued notices to the Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board and the Indian Nursing Council, directing them to file their replies within four weeks. The matter has been listed for hearing after four weeks. Direct recruitment versus promotion rules On behalf of the petitioners, it was argued that 40 posts of Associate Professor sanctioned in 2024 are being filled through direct recruitment, which is against the service rules. As per the rules, promotions should have been carried out first. Eligible doctors denied promotion Advocate Pankaj Dubey told the court that 12 female doctors are currently working as Assistant Professors in the college and all of them meet the eligibility criteria. Petitioners including Dr Praveen Suryavanshi, Dr Shweta Thakur and Dr Gayatri Verma stated that despite years of service, they have not been promoted. Court warns recruitment may be cancelled The court observed that if the final decision goes in favour of the petitioners, the entire direct recruitment process for the Associate Professor posts could be cancelled.