The Orissa High Court has halted the final selection process for Assistant Professor posts at the Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer (AHPGIC) in Cuttack, following serious allegations of violations in recruitment rules.
The interim order, issued by the vacation bench of Justice Aditya Kumar Mohapatra, allows the recruitment process to proceed but restrains the institute from making final appointments until further notice.
The directive came in response to a petition challenging the recruitment advertisement released on May 28, 2025, which invited applications for 17 assistant professor positions across six super-specialty disciplines. The petitioners argued that the selection process, which gave weightage solely to academic scores—40% for MBBS and 20% for postgraduate qualifications—excluded the mandatory written test required under Clause 4 of the Odisha Medical Education Service (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2021.
The absence of a written examination, as mandated by state recruitment rules and the institute’s bylaws, was cited as a key violation that compromises merit-based selection and transparency in public appointments. The Court has issued notices to the director and dean of AHPGIC, directing them to file affidavits in response within two weeks. Petitioners have been granted an additional two weeks to submit rejoinders. A full hearing has been scheduled for the week beginning August 4.
Until then, the institute is barred from making any final selections for the advertised posts. The High Court’s intervention reflects its continued emphasis on procedural integrity and compliance with statutory norms in public sector appointments.
