Ahmedabad: Gujarat University (GU) has reconstituted its Allied and Healthcare Board after controversy erupted over the appointment of members to the earlier panel. The step follows objections raised by the Gujarat State Allied and Healthcare Council, after which the university dissolved the previous board and constituted a fresh one with academically qualified representatives.In Dec, the university had set up an ad hoc board for allied and healthcare courses and announced six members. The council, however, objected to the panel’s composition, arguing that most of the appointed members did not fulfil the prescribed academic qualifications. In an official communication, the council stressed that board members must be directly involved in academic activities in related disciplines and asked the university to review its decision. The controversy emerged against the backdrop of wider changes at the national level, with the central govt establishing a separate Allied and Healthcare Commission. Under the revised framework, universities are required to create dedicated boards for paramedical and allied healthcare courses, which were earlier placed under medical boards. These courses include physiotherapy, optometry, and several other specializations. Acting on the concerns, Gujarat University has now formed a new board comprising qualified professionals, including the dean of the medical faculty, principals of physiotherapy and occupational therapy colleges, a senior professor from an optometry college and a professor from the life sciences stream. With the revised structure in place, all major decisions related to paramedical and allied healthcare courses — including syllabus formulation, examinations and declaration of results — will now be overseen by this board and its Board of Studies committees, aimed at improving academic oversight and ensuring adherence to national norms.
