Govt. relaxes professor promotion in medical colleges

In a move to address faculty shortages in government medical colleges, the State government has approved a one-time relaxation in the minimum qualifications required for promotion from associate professor to professor.

According to an official release from the Department of Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare on Monday (July 14), Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu approved the proposal to promote associate professors with one year of teaching experience, instead of the usual three years, to the rank of professor in government medical colleges. The decision to fill the posts in both new and existing government medical colleges, a step considered vital for securing National Medical Commission (NMC) approval —mandatory for opening admissions in newly established government colleges for the academic year 2025–26.

Currently, professor posts vacancies are in the new medical colleges at Vizianagaram, Paderu, Rajamahendravaram, Eluru, Machilipatnam and Nandyal.

Minister for Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Satya Kumar Yadav has directed that the proposals to recruit professors and associate professors on a contract basis be deferred for now. He added that once promotions, in the above-mentioned manner, are completed, recruitment on a contract basis would be taken up as per requirement.

It may be noted that the contractual basis of recruitment has met with strong opposition from government healthcare professionals.

In a letter to the Health Minister on Sunday, A.P. Government Doctors’ Association have urged him to reconsider the decision to recruit professors on a contract basis. They say that the government is taking away the promotion opportunity of senior doctors, who have been waiting for a long time.