LAHORE (Education Reporter)
A new eligibility criteria has been set for the appointment of Vice-Chancellors (VCs) in government medical universities, introducing new conditions regarding age, teaching experience, and educational qualifications. However, as soon as these new rules and regulations came to light, they sparked intense debate and severe criticism from both educational and medical circles, with some clauses being labeled as entirely contrary to the fundamental principles of merit.
Vice-Chancellorship on a Second Division in MBBS?
According to the newly proposed criteria, while a strict condition has been laid down requiring candidates to have served as a professor for at least 10 years and possess a post-graduation or PhD degree along with a minimum of 20 research publications, an extraordinary and surprising relaxation has been made in the basic educational qualification.
Under the new rules, candidates who passed their MBBS with a Second Division will now also be eligible for this highest academic and administrative post. Expressing deep shock and astonishment over this clause, educationists have questioned how a student who cleared their own degree in the second division can lead high-level research and govern medical universities.
70-Year Age Limit, But Fitness Guidelines Missing
According to the documents, the maximum age limit for the post of Vice-Chancellor has been fixed at 70 years. Deep concern is also being expressed in educational circles that despite setting such an advanced age limit, no clear condition, certificate, or standard for a medical check-up regarding the candidate’s physical or mental fitness has been included in the policy documents.
Critics argue that mental and physical alertness is indispensable to managing the day-to-day operations of a major educational and administrative institution at the age of 70, yet policymakers have maintained complete silence on this crucial aspect.
90% Merit vs. Second Division: Concern Over Educational Contradiction
This new development and controversial rules have emerged at a time when a stringent merit threshold of over 90% is generally witnessed for general student admissions in the country’s public medical universities and colleges.
Deep concern prevails across various circles regarding this glaring contradiction, questioning why the educational standards for appointing university heads are being lowered to such an extent when students have to toil day and night just to secure admission into those very institutions. Critics from the medical and academic sectors state that these vague and lenient rules will not only badly affect the standard of higher medical education in the country but could also openly promote nepotism and favoritism.