Varanasi: The recruitment of 62 employees through outsourcing at the Trauma Centre of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has come under scrutiny after a five-member inquiry committee confirmed violations of recruitment rules. The committee has submitted its report to Professor S.N. Sankhwar, Director of the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), BHU. It has recommended cancelling all the appointments and initiating a fresh recruitment process. The findings have raised concerns over the continuation of employees appointed last year.
The case relates to appointments made in November 2025 during the tenure of the then professor-in-charge of the Trauma Centre, Saurabh Singh. A total of 62 employees were recruited through an outsourcing agency for various positions, including radiographers, operation theatre (OT) technicians and laboratory technicians. Following complaints about the recruitment process, an inquiry committee was constituted to examine the appointments and review the relevant documents. Its investigation identified several irregularities in the selection procedure.
Only 62 Resumes Sought for 62 Vacant Posts
The inquiry committee raised questions about the manner in which candidates were considered for the vacant positions. Although 62 posts were available at the Trauma Centre, the outsourcing agency had obtained only 62 resumes from candidates. This raised concerns about transparency and the scope of competition in the recruitment process.
The committee also found that the outsourcing agency had not provided the list of candidates to the offices of the Deputy Registrar (DR) and Assistant Registrar (AR).
According to the findings, the absence of a properly maintained and shared list of applicants and selection-related documents raised questions about the fairness of the process. Recruitment procedures require proper scrutiny of candidates’ eligibility and the maintenance of relevant records. The committee identified the limited number of resumes and the failure to share the candidate list with the concerned offices as significant procedural shortcomings.
B.Ed. Degree Holder Appointed as Radiographer
One of the most serious concerns identified during the inquiry relates to the educational qualifications of the selected candidates. The committee found that the eligibility criteria for certain positions were not clearly established and that some candidates did not possess qualifications appropriate for the posts to which they were appointed.
A particularly notable case involved the appointment of a B.Ed. degree holder to the technical post of radiographer.
The committee treated this as a major irregularity in the selection process. Appointments to technical and medical positions require candidates to meet the prescribed educational qualifications and training requirements. The selection of candidates whose degrees do not correspond to the requirements of their positions raises questions about whether eligibility criteria were properly verified.
The inquiry report has cited these shortcomings as grounds for reconsidering the appointments and conducting recruitment afresh.
Screening Committee Formed Without a Subject Expert
The constitution and functioning of the screening committee also came under scrutiny. According to the prescribed procedure, a specialist from the relevant field, including the Department of Radiology for radiographer-related positions, should have been included in the selection process.
However, the inquiry found that the selection was completed without the participation of a radiology specialist.
The absence of a subject expert raised questions about how candidates’ technical qualifications, professional competence and suitability for the positions were assessed. The committee identified this as another significant lapse in compliance with recruitment procedures.
Screening and Selection Meetings Held on the Same Day
The committee also questioned the decision to hold the screening committee and selection committee meetings on the same day. According to its findings, completing preliminary scrutiny, verification of eligibility and final selection within a single day raised concerns about the manner in which the recruitment process was conducted.
The circumstances prompted questions about whether all necessary formalities had been completed before the final selection was made.
The inquiry also found a lack of clarity over whether the recruitment was supposed to be conducted through walk-in interviews or another selection method. The absence of clarity regarding the recruitment procedure further raised concerns about transparency.
The committee also questioned the roles of the then Deputy Registrar and professor-in-charge in the recruitment process. However, a final determination of individual responsibility and any subsequent action against the officials remain pending.
Report to Be Forwarded to Vice-Chancellor
Professor S.N. Sankhwar, Director of IMS, BHU, confirmed that the inquiry committee had submitted its report.
“The committee has submitted its report after completing the inquiry. The findings will be forwarded to the Vice-Chancellor,” he said.
Further action is expected to be considered after the report is placed before the Vice-Chancellor. The committee has recommended cancelling all 62 appointments and conducting a fresh recruitment exercise.
However, no final decision has yet been announced regarding the cancellation of the appointments, termination of the employees’ services or the fixing of responsibility for the alleged irregularities. The next steps will depend on the university administration’s consideration of the inquiry findings and its subsequent decisions.
