Muslim Professors Left Behind in Karnataka’s Medical Institutions
RTI reveals decline in representation & lack of opportunities in govt medical colleges & hospitals
Bengaluru: The sharp decline in the representation of qualified Muslim medical professors in teaching and administrative positions across Karnataka’s government medical colleges and super-specialty hospitals has become a matter of serious concern.
According to information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from institutions such as the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences, Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, and other state-run medical institutions, the total sanctioned teaching strength across both old and new medical colleges exceeds 3,486 posts. Of these, nearly 1,000 posts remain vacant. Yet, even among the filled positions, the percentage of Muslim faculty members appointed or promoted to senior roles is alarmingly low.
For instance, in the six new government medical colleges (with a total of 622 sanctioned teaching posts), only 22 faculty members belong to the Muslim minority community. In another eight colleges (with 1,376 sanctioned posts), just 30 Muslim professors are currently serving.
In four additional medical colleges with 688 sanctioned posts, 234 remain vacant. Among the older institutions, which collectively have around 800 sanctioned posts, 212 are vacant, and only a handful of Muslim professors (about seven) are eligible to hold senior administrative or leadership positions. The situation in super-specialty hospitals and autonomous medical institutes is even more worrying.
At the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), there is only one registrar from the Muslim community, and none of the principals or directors (excluding temporary or unapproved positions like the current Principal of BMCRI) belong to the community. This is disheartening, given that many senior Muslim professors have decades of service, outstanding academic credentials, and unblemished records, yet continue to be overlooked for leadership roles.
Furthermore, there are serious allegations that some senior Muslim officials, who earlier held responsible posts such as Director of Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Director of KIMS Hubballi, Medical Superintendent of GIMS Kalaburagi, and Joint Director of Medical Education, were removed from office without any transparent or justified explanation by the present administration.
This trend has created a deep sense of discrimination and disappointment among Muslim professors who have dedicated their careers to medical education and public service. Despite the availability of qualified and experienced professionals, the community continues to face systematic neglect in appointments, promotions, and recognitions.
In this context, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah must personally intervene to review the representation of Muslim faculty members across all government medical colleges and super-specialty hospitals. It is essential to ensure fair and transparent consideration of eligible Muslim academics for administrative and leadership roles such as Principals, Deans, Directors, Medical Superintendents, and Heads of Departments.
The community has also urged the Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to introduce clear minority representation and equality guidelines in line with the constitutional principles of equality and social justice.
In January 2024, the government had appointed Dr. Syed Altaf as the in-charge Director of Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology. The appointment was challenged in the High Court by Dr. Lokesh. Subsequently, Dr. Syed Altaf filed a writ petition before the Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court. After hearing both sides, the Division Bench on September 9 directed that Dr. Syed Altaf be reinstated as the in-charge Director of Kidwai Institute. Notably, there are currently no super-specialty doctors (MCh) at Kidwai who are due for retirement in the next seven years.
Earlier, the state cabinet had decided on May 15 this year to extend the retirement age of super-specialty doctors from 60 to 65 years. The Finance Department approved this proposal on October 10. Following this, Dr. Balaji S. Pai, Professor of Neurosurgery at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), received an extension of service from June 1.
Similarly, Dr. Sujata Rathod, Director of the Directorate of Medical Education, was granted an extension on June 30. Earlier, Jayadeva Institute Director Dr. Ravindranath’s tenure was extended by three years, and Dr. C. N. Manjunath’s tenure had also been extended twice, each time by three years.
Given these precedents, the community demands to know why similarly qualified and senior Muslim professors have been repeatedly denied such opportunities.
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Communal hate speech case: Bail granted to Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat
Mangaluru: RSS leader Dr. Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat has been granted bail by the Puttur Fifth Additional District and Sessions Court in a case related to alleged communal hate speech.
The case pertains to a complaint filed against Bhat for delivering a speech during a Deepotsava event that was allegedly communal, derogatory towards women, and capable of disturbing public order. The incident took place on October 22 at Uppalige in Puttur taluk during the Deepotsava and Gopuja programme, where Bhat was present.
Following the complaint filed by Eshwari Padmunja at the Puttur Rural Police Station, the police had issued a notice directing Bhat to appear for inquiry. Subsequently, Bhat filed an anticipatory bail petition before the court.
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During the hearing on October 27, the court issued an interim order restraining coercive action and adjourned the matter to October 29 for complete hearing. On October 29, the counsel representing complainant Eshwari Padmunja sought permission to argue under Sections 338 and 339 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The court adjourned the matter several times post that.
On Wednesday, the court granted bail to Prabhakar Bhat.
Advocate Mahesh Kaje represented him in the proceedings.
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