Advocate Anup Kumar Patro flags NHRC directive violation over 2,800 AIIMS faculty vacancies

New Delhi, Nov 14: Advocate Anup Kumar Patro from Jeypore in Odisha's Koraput district has approached the Cabinet Secretary, Government of India, alleging prolonged inaction by the Union Health Ministry over a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) direction concerning faculty vacancies across 20 All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

In a formal representation dated November 14, Patro alleged that the Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had failed to comply with an NHRC direction issued on January 20, 2026, in Case No. 71/90/0/2026. The direction, according to the representation, required the Ministry to take appropriate action within eight weeks, associate the complainant with the process and communicate the Action Taken Report (ATR) directly to him.

Patro claimed that the stipulated deadline expired on March 17, 2026, but he had neither received an ATR nor been associated with any remedial inquiry as of November 14.

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The underlying complaint highlights what Patro describes as a nationwide shortage of faculty in AIIMS institutions. Citing figures in his representation, he claimed that approximately 2,800 sanctioned faculty positions, accounting for 40 per cent of the total, remained vacant across 20 AIIMS campuses.

AIIMS New Delhi alone reportedly had 462 vacant faculty positions. The representation also pointed to shortages at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Rishikesh, Raipur, Nagpur, Kalyani, Rajkot, Madurai and Avantipura, among other institutions.

Patro argued that the shortage of specialist doctors and senior teaching faculty could affect patient care, particularly for underprivileged people dependent on AIIMS for advanced medical treatment. He also raised concerns over its implications for medical education and the training of future healthcare professionals.

Describing the alleged delay as a matter requiring urgent administrative intervention, the advocate urged the Cabinet Secretary to seek an explanation and an immediate Action Taken Report from the Health Ministry over the alleged failure to comply with the NHRC's January 20 direction.

He also sought a time-bound and transparent recruitment roadmap to fill the reported 2,800 vacant faculty positions across AIIMS institutions. Further, he urged the government to ensure that the complainant was associated with the process and formally provided with the complete Action Taken Report.