Faculty Association of AIIMS Slams Circular Defining General Duty Hours

The computerization committee of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had issued a circular on October 9, 2015, defining the general duty as 9.30 am to 5.15 pm. However, the Faculty Association of AIIMS (FAAIIMS) on Tuesday, October 20, 2015, has slammed this recent circular, saying it would lead to curbing working hours instead of increasing them.

A senior doctor at AIIMS and a member of FAAIIMS said, "Work in many departments starts well before 9.30 am. The operation theater (OTs) normally starts work by 8 am and Out Patient Departments (OPD) by 8.30 am. The faculty members don't go for lunch unless they are done with their patients. In such a situation what is the relevance of bringing out such a circular."

In an earlier statement, the FAAIIMS said, "It is such a ridiculous circular, that mentions that faculty to come at 9.15 am and leave by 5.15 pm. Most of the faculty and paramedical staff come at 8 am and in several departments, out patient services run till 7-8 pm."

The circular states that the bio-metric attendance system has been implemented in the institute including its peripheral centers for all its employees, faculties, scientists, projects employees and Ph.D. students.

The circular, signed by Deepak Agrawal, chairman, computerization committee, says, "The general duty is defined as 9.30 am to 5.15 pm with half-an-hour lunch break from Monday to Friday and 9.30 to 1.15 without lunch break on Saturday. Biometric attendance system is only an enabling platform. There is no change in the instructions relating to office hours, late attendance etc. which will continue to apply. We just want a uniformity in the arrival timing of all the faculties and other staff on duties."

Source: IANS