NEW DELHI: As the tenure of Dr P Venugopal ends in the first week of July, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is looking for a new director - and a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) or a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) is welcome.

In an advertisement the institute has invited applications. In an advertisement the institute has called for applications from Indian citizens, including Non-Resident Indians and Persons of Indian Origin for the post of director. The advertisement has underlined that the applicant must have a high post-graduate qualification in medicine or surgery or public health and their branches.

The candidate must have at least 25 years of professional standing as well as teaching and research experience of not less than 10 years. The advertisement clearly restrict the tenure of the director to "five years or the retirement age to 65 or less, whichever is earlier."

The age limit was the main criteria for contention between the Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and Dr Venugopal because the latter will hold the post till 67 years. The AIIMS is the best government medical college and research centre in the country and treats nearly 8,000 patients every day.

Candidates are supposed to mention their extra-curricular activities such as medico-social work, journalistic or other literary activities, and in relation of sports.

The advertisement also asks applicants to mention if he or she has written any published work. Reacting to the development, a faculty member at the AIIMS said: There is no point inviting applications from NRIs or PIOs. The institute has enough qualified doctors to take up the post.