AIIMS Intends To Cancel The PhD Selection Interview

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has advocated increasing the transparency of its PhD student selection process by altering the assessment pattern to objective written examinations rather than interview-based selections.

AIIMS management has announced revisions in the selection procedure for PhDs and granting of Institute fellowships at the institute in order to have high-quality research and improve NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) rankings. 

The institute also proposed allocating Rs 200 crore to start 40-50 PhD Institute Fellowships on par with the Prime Minister's Research Fellows scheme and allocating Rs 200 crore for the same, subject to necessary approvals from AIIMS and Government of India statutory committees.

"The Director of AIIMS, New Delhi, is pleased to announce changes to the institute's PhD and Institute Fellowship selection processes." "These reforms will act as a positive reinforcement for high-quality research and improve AIIMS, New Delhi's NRIF rankings in research," said an AIIMS news statement on Tuesday.

According to the institute, it was proposed to strengthen the transparency of the PhD student selection process by altering the evaluation pattern to an objective written test based on MCQs and OSCE/OSPE rather than an interview-based selection. PhD entrance exams will be held biannually, alongside the DM/MCh Entrance Examinations, at various locations around the country.