AIIMS Nurses Union New Delhi has written to Union Heath Minister Harsh Vardhan, alleging gender discrimination in the new reservation criteria for recruitment of nursing officers in AIIMS across India.

It also expressed objections over the implementation of decisions of the 4th Central Institute Body (CIB) meeting on recruitment of Nursing Officers in AIIMS across the country.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of the minister and other members of CIB, but the union alleged that no nursing personnel were present as members of the CIB, it said, adding that it was decided in the meeting that 80 per cent of posts will be reserved for female candidates, while 20 percent will be for male candidates in all categories.

The minutes of meeting stated that the CIB discussed the issue of appropriateness and requirement of female nursing staffs in a number of departments/specialised wards vis-à-vis patient comfort and care.

 It was decided that 80 per cent of posts may be reserved for female nursing staff, while the remaining may be filled by male nursing staff, the minutes stated. "AIIMS Nurses Union strongly opposes this newly introduced reservation criteria based on gender discrimination for the post of Nursing Officer (Direct Recruitment) and also condemns the decisions taken in the 4th meeting of CIB," AIIMS Nurses Union president Harish Kumar Kajla said in the letter.

 "This unconstitutional decision taken by the AIIMS CIB members simply shows the gender discrimination to the matter of public employment which is a blatant violation of fundamental rights guaranteed in our Constitution as per  Article 16 (1949) which guarantees equality of opportunity in matters of public employment for all Indian citizens," the letter said.

 They said that AIIMS Nagpur has issued a notification on January 10 for the post of Nursing Officer (on Direct Recruitment Basis) with reservation of 80 per cent to female candidates and only 20 per cent to male candidates in all categories.