RS nod to AcSIR Bill with amendments

Updated on: Thursday, December 22, 2011

The RS passed a bill that would enable the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to start an academy to award post-graduate and doctoral degrees after making certain amendments.

The amendments to the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research(AcSIR) Bill, 2011, moved by Minister for Science and Technology Vilasrao Deshmukh, makes it clear that the Academy would not invoke central laws to deny reservation to SC/ST students.

The Lok Sabha has passed the Bill in September, but with the Rajya Sabha making amendments to it, the draft legislation has to go back to the Lower House for approval. The Bill proposes to establish an Academy for furtherance of advancement of learning and prosecution of research in the field of science and technology in association with CSIR and to declare the institution known as the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, to be an institution of national importance.

At present, scientists pursuing research in any of the 37 laboratories of CSIR across the country have to register themselves at different universities. Responding to the concerns of members, Deshmukh said the main purpose of setting up such an academy of national importance is to stop brain drain and help scientific research within the country.

Members of the BJP and some other parties had voiced concerns over Clause 9(2) of the Bill that referred to employment of persons belonging to SC/ST communities in the Academy.

The members feared that the Academy, being an institute of national importance, would invoke the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act 2006 to deny employment or admission to persons from the weaker sections.

The amendment makes it clear that Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act 2006 shall not be applicable to this Academy. "The amendment makes it more clear and concrete... this Academy will have reservation as per the central laws," Deshmukh said.

He also made it clear that the Academy will have no adverse impact on other universities as far as research was concerned. "This academy is only for innovation," he said. The Academy will stop brain-drain and create facilities to retain the best minds in the country, he said.

Another amendment moved by Rama Jois(BJP) regarding referral of the Bill a Select Committee to remove certain anomalies was defeated by a voice vote.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal assured the House that the Department-related Standing Committee had gone into the Bill thoroughly following which it was taken up by the Cabinet for approval.

Earlier, the House witnessed uproarious scenes and had to be adjourned for half-an-hour in the post-lunch session over the issue of reservation in the proposed centre of national importance to be set up under the Bill.

RS nod to AcSIR Bill with amendments

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