New Delhi:(Page3 News Network)-The Human Resource Development Minister, Shri Kapil Sibal has given a go ahead for the implementation of various recommendations of the Ministry of HRD Review
Committee on ICSSR. A number of structural changes of far reaching consequences have been approved.
The Memorandum of Association, by which the ICSSR had come into being will be amended in areas of critical importance. The selection and appointment of the Chairman, which was so far made exclusively on the discretion of the Government, will now be made through a Search Committee comprising of one Council Member, one Social Scientist of international eminence to be nominated by the Council and one person nominated by the government from amongst National Research Professors in Social Science who will be the Chairman of this committee. The Chairman of the ICSSR will be appointed by the government from amongst the panel of names submitted by this committee. The term of the Chairman which is renewable three years at present will now be for a term of nonrenewable five years. The composition of the ICSSR Council will also stand modified. The new Council will comprise of nine ex-officio members, viz. – Chairman ICSSR, Secretary Higher Education (MHRD), Secretary Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, Secretary Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Chairman UGC, Chairman ICHR, Chairman ICPR, Chairman National Science and Engineering Board and Director General ICSSR. There will be twelve other non ex-officio members. Out of these, ten eminent social scientists will be nominated by a collegium of social scientists and one Vice-Chancellor of a Central University and one Director of IIM/IIT to be co-opted by the Council. All these amendments in the Memorandum of Association of ICSSR are aimed at providing greater autonomy and ensuring better efficiency of the ICSSR.
The Human Resource Development Minister has also cleared the proposals for restructuring and re-strengthening the existing Research Institutes of ICSSR as well as to expand the research network and establishment of more such research institutes. Towards ensuring an enhanced efficiency of the existing ICSSR institutes, it has been proposed that a group for evaluating the position of research institutes including a minimum threshold academic strength of seventeen faculty members in each institute be considered, the possibility of taking over by the ICSSR of the salary expenditure of each institute to empower them would be explored and their autonomy would be protected, besides implementation of a Tripartite MoU to be signed between the ICSSR-MHRD, each research institute funded by ICSSR and the respective state governments, wherever required. The perspective of expanding the research network and establishment of more ICSSR research institutes will be aimed at removing the imbalances relating to region, neglected disciplines and inter-disciplinary areas of research, inter institutional networking and research relating to marginalized social groups and issues of their inclusive development. For this, an MHRD-ICSSR Joint Committee will be set up to identify both the regional areas as well as new disciplines of study where the ICSSR will set up new research institutes.
Committee on ICSSR. A number of structural changes of far reaching consequences have been approved.
The Memorandum of Association, by which the ICSSR had come into being will be amended in areas of critical importance. The selection and appointment of the Chairman, which was so far made exclusively on the discretion of the Government, will now be made through a Search Committee comprising of one Council Member, one Social Scientist of international eminence to be nominated by the Council and one person nominated by the government from amongst National Research Professors in Social Science who will be the Chairman of this committee. The Chairman of the ICSSR will be appointed by the government from amongst the panel of names submitted by this committee. The term of the Chairman which is renewable three years at present will now be for a term of nonrenewable five years. The composition of the ICSSR Council will also stand modified. The new Council will comprise of nine ex-officio members, viz. – Chairman ICSSR, Secretary Higher Education (MHRD), Secretary Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, Secretary Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Chairman UGC, Chairman ICHR, Chairman ICPR, Chairman National Science and Engineering Board and Director General ICSSR. There will be twelve other non ex-officio members. Out of these, ten eminent social scientists will be nominated by a collegium of social scientists and one Vice-Chancellor of a Central University and one Director of IIM/IIT to be co-opted by the Council. All these amendments in the Memorandum of Association of ICSSR are aimed at providing greater autonomy and ensuring better efficiency of the ICSSR.
The Human Resource Development Minister has also cleared the proposals for restructuring and re-strengthening the existing Research Institutes of ICSSR as well as to expand the research network and establishment of more such research institutes. Towards ensuring an enhanced efficiency of the existing ICSSR institutes, it has been proposed that a group for evaluating the position of research institutes including a minimum threshold academic strength of seventeen faculty members in each institute be considered, the possibility of taking over by the ICSSR of the salary expenditure of each institute to empower them would be explored and their autonomy would be protected, besides implementation of a Tripartite MoU to be signed between the ICSSR-MHRD, each research institute funded by ICSSR and the respective state governments, wherever required. The perspective of expanding the research network and establishment of more ICSSR research institutes will be aimed at removing the imbalances relating to region, neglected disciplines and inter-disciplinary areas of research, inter institutional networking and research relating to marginalized social groups and issues of their inclusive development. For this, an MHRD-ICSSR Joint Committee will be set up to identify both the regional areas as well as new disciplines of study where the ICSSR will set up new research institutes.
