Anjaneya Tewari, Chandigarh: Marking an administrative milestone, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER) has successfully resolved a complex, long-standing dispute regarding the restructuring of its technical cadres. The massive restructuring exercise—affecting Laboratory, X-Ray, and Radiotherapy cadres—comes after continuous efforts spanning more than three decades.
The Foundation of the Restructuring
The breakthrough follows Office Order No. PGI-MA-2025/F-010-579, which formally sanctioned the restructuring based on the historic recommendations of the Cadre Anomaly Committee (Prof. S. Prabhakar Committee). Crucially, the order takes retrospective effect from March 1, 1992—the original date of implementation for other employee categories at the institute.
The initiative was executed in pursuance of approvals granted by the Governing Body of the Institute in February 2025 and subsequent ratification by the Institute Body in May 2025. Recognizing the immense complexity of verifying 30 years of historical data, the Director of PGIMER constituted a dedicated Special Cell in July 2025 to fast-track implementation.
A Mammoth Record-Reconstruction Drive
The Special Cell undertook an extensive screening process, reviewing service particulars and eligibility conditions for the period between March 1, 1992, and December 31, 2024. In total, the team processed 1,120 promotions across 193 Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) memorandums, benefiting approximately 659 employees.
The cadre-wise breakdown of the completed promotion drive highlights the scale of the task:
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Laboratory Cadre: Formed the largest chunk of the exercise. The cell processed approximately 899 promotions through 104 DPC memorandums, covering around 520 employees across grades such as Senior Technician, Technical Assistant, Technical Officer, and Senior Technical Officer.
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X-Ray Cadre: Handled around 173 promotions via 64 DPC memorandums, covering 111 employees across Senior Technician, Technical Assistant, Technical Officer, and Senior Technical Officer roles.
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Radiotherapy Cadre: Processed approximately 48 promotions through 25 DPC memorandums, settling records for around 28 technical employees.
The time-bound operation required tracing, collecting, and verifying voluminous, decades-old historical records that were scattered across multiple departments.
Administration Lauds “Impossible” Effort
Prof. Vivek Lal, Director of PGIMER, highly appreciated the relentless, day-and-night efforts of the Special Cell and the Special DPC.
“This achievement reflects PGIMER’s unwavering commitment to fairness, transparency, and responsive administration,” Prof. Lal stated. “The restructuring of technical cadres was not merely an administrative process but a long-pending matter linked to the dignity, recognition, and professional growth of our employees.”
The Director extended his gratitude to the core operational team, including:
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The Special Cell: Key members including Ambika Saini (AO), G.S. Sandhu (Consultant), Lalit Pant (JAO), alongside Sachin Sharma, Shweta Rawat, Surbhi Sharma, Vivek Kumar, Naveen Singh Negi, Vivek Wadhwa, Saurabh Sharma, and Gurpreet Singh.
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The Special DPC: Chaired by Dr. R.K. Ratho, Dean (Academic), alongside Pankaj Rai (DDA), Dr. V. Goni (Liaison Officer), Prof. Nandita Kakkar (HoD, Histopathology), Rattan Lal Thakur (Sr. Admn. Officer, Vigilance), and representatives from the Financial Advisor’s office.
The successful rollout brings closure to a generation-old grievance, securing structural professional growth and retrospective justice for the institute’s core technical workforce.
