The appointment of an IAS officer as Director of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) has sparked serious questions over the Manipur government’s adherence to the regulations of the National Medical Commission (NMC), the statutory body governing medical education and institutions in the country.
According to an NMC notification issued on June 30, 2025, the post of Director of JNIMS requires a minimum of ten years of teaching experience in a medical institution, including at least five years as a Professor. However, despite the prescribed eligibility criteria, the Government of Manipur appointed IAS officer Salam Somorjit as Director-in-Charge of JNIMS through an order issued on May 4, 2026.
The move has triggered criticism from sections of the medical fraternity, who view the appointment as a direct departure from NMC norms and an affront to qualified senior faculty members serving in the state’s premier medical institution. Critics questioned whether the government’s decision implied that no eligible professor existed within JNIMS to head the institute — a perception many described as deeply humiliating for the institution and its medical professionals.
Prior to the appointment, Prof. Longjam Usharani Devi had been serving as Director of JNIMS following a government order issued on November 14, 2025. Observers argue that she should have continued in office until a qualified medical academic fulfilling NMC criteria was formally appointed.
Former JNIMS Director Dr. Ahanthem Diwjamani Singh also voiced concern over the development in a Facebook post, recalling that a previous appointment of an IAS officer as Director had reportedly drawn objections during a Medical Council inspection, forcing the government to reverse the decision. While acknowledging that an IAS officer may possess administrative capability, he stated that assigning the post to a non-medical officer without amending the recruitment rules and securing approval from the regulatory council undermined the medical profession and reflected a lack of trust in senior faculty members.
The controversy has also raised fears that deviation from NMC regulations could expose JNIMS to scrutiny during future inspections and potentially invite adverse observations from the commission, risking reputational damage to Manipur’s first state-run medical institute.