Srinagar, Apr 29: Despite a significant shortage of faculty in its medical colleges, the Jammu and Kashmir government has failed to implement the second phase of the three-tier faculty system in old GMCs, a delay that has stalled promotions and recruitment for the past two years.
J&K traditionally followed a four-tier faculty structure comprising Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor, unlike the rest of India, which follows a three-tier system of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor.
A senior faculty member at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar said that after years of appeals, the government had finally agreed to transition from the four-tier to the three-tier system across both medical and dental colleges in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Finance Department had also given conditional approval to implement the change in two phases due to financial constraints. “The first phase was implemented last year, in which the Lecturer post was abolished and re-designated as Assistant Professor,” he said.
However, the second phase—crucial for upgrading posts and enabling recruitment at higher levels—remains unimplemented, leading to stagnation in faculty career progression and hindering new appointments.
While the three-tier system is already in place in the newly established peripheral medical colleges and has recently been adopted by dental colleges such as Indira Gandhi Government Dental College, Jammu, and Government Dental College, Srinagar, older institutions like GMC Srinagar and GMC Jammu continue to suffer.
“Due to this delay, there has been no fresh recruitment in major medical colleges despite a serious faculty shortage. Many eligible candidates are nearing the upper age limit for recruitment, and some have already crossed it, resulting in a brain drain,” the faculty member added.
The faculty member said that their students in new medical colleges have become professors while the existing ones at old GMCs remain as assistant professors for the past ten years.
They urged the government to expedite the implementation of the second phase so that new posts can be created, particularly at the Associate Professor and Professor levels, thereby addressing stagnation and facilitating recruitment through the JKPSC, which has been on hold for two years due to the pending restructuring.
An official from GMC Srinagar confirmed the concern, explaining that the issue is being actively reviewed by the Finance Department.
“We recognize the seriousness of the matter. Once we receive financial approval, we will move forward with the second phase,” the official said.
He further said that this phase would enhance the number of senior faculty, enable an increase in postgraduate seats, and contribute significantly to raising the standard of medical education in the region.
