A section of the faculty at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar has urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to continue the recently introduced rotational Head of Department (HoD) policy, describing it as a significant governance reform that promotes transparency, accountability, and shared leadership.
In a representation submitted to the Chief Minister, Lieutenant Governor, Health Minister, and senior officials of the Health and Medical Education Department, faculty members welcomed the implementation of the rotational headship policy.
The policy was introduced through Government Order No. 125-GS of 2026, issued on June 17 in compliance with Government Order No. 527-JK(HME) of 2023, resulting in the appointment of new HoDs in 14 departments at GMC Srinagar.
The faculty said the fixed two-year tenure for HoDs would provide equitable leadership opportunities to senior faculty members, encourage innovation, improve academic standards, strengthen research, and enhance patient care in associated hospitals.
The representation also alleged that some outgoing HoDs, including those who had previously benefited from the same policy, were attempting to persuade the administration to withdraw the reform. The faculty appealed to the government to continue with the policy in the larger interest of institutional governance.
The development comes as the National Medical Commission (NMC) reviews its proposal for mandatory rotational headship across medical colleges. After receiving extensive stakeholder feedback, the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) recommended retaining the existing flexible appointment system instead of making rotation compulsory nationwide.
According to the NMC consultation report, 513 responses were received, with 59 percent opposing mandatory rotation and 41 percent supporting it. While critics argued that leadership should be based on merit, administrative capability, research, and teaching excellence rather than seniority alone, supporters maintained that rotational leadership promotes transparency, reduces concentration of power, and creates broader opportunities for academic leadership. (Agencies)
