Faculty to Wear Black Badges, Observe Hunger Protest on July 1 Demanding Transparent Leadership System
New Delhi – Faculty members from two of India’s premier medical institutions – AIIMS Delhi and PGIMER Chandigarh – will stage a joint peaceful protest on National Doctors’ Day, July 1, demanding the immediate implementation of rotatory headship, a democratic leadership system that has long been pending at both institutes.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the faculty associations said the protest would include wearing black badges and protest T-shirts, and a relay hunger protest from 1 pm to 2 pm on campus. The symbolic demonstration is aimed at highlighting the pressing need for a transparent, fair, and inclusive system of academic governance.
“This demonstration will be symbolic yet powerful, marking a critical moment in our collective demand for transparency, fairness, and equal opportunity in academic leadership,” the faculty associations noted.
Rotatory headship, widely adopted in other academic institutions across India, is designed to prevent monopolization of power, encourage merit-based appointments, and promote departmental harmony, the faculty said. Despite widespread support — with over 78% of faculty members in favor — the model remains unimplemented at AIIMS and PGIMER.
The associations emphasized that the protest is not a strike but a peaceful assertion of faculty rights and a stand for institutional integrity.
Over the last two months, faculty members at both institutes have carried out internal polls, signature campaigns, passed formal resolutions, and submitted multiple representations to the Union Health Ministry and respective institutional heads, calling for time-bound implementation of the rotatory system.
“With no meaningful progress, we are now taking this step on Doctors’ Day — a day that celebrates the medical profession — to bring national attention to this legitimate and long-pending concern,” the statement read.
The protest reflects the growing discontent among faculty over the lack of action, and underlines a larger call for democratization of academic leadership in India’s top medical institutions.
