ICSSR network to be restructured and restrenthened to remove regional imbalance and neglected disciplines

Updated on: Monday, October 22, 2012

The government clared a proposal for restructuring and re-strengthening existing network of Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and opening of more such institutes.

The strengthening and expansion of network are aimed at removing regional imbalance and neglected disciplines and focusing on inter-disciplinary areas of research for inclusive development, said a HRD Ministry statement.

The plan was approved by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal as part of a number of structural changes recommended by a review committee of the Ministry on ICSSR.

ICSSR was established 1969 to promote research in social sciences.

A HRD-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, the statement said.

Towards ensuring 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 should be considered.

Further, the possibility of ICSSR taking over the salary expenditure of each institute to empower them would be explored and their autonomy would be protected.

The memorandum of association, under which the ICSSR had come into being will be amended in areas of critical importance with an aim of providing greater autonomy and ensuring better efficiency of the ICSSR.

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 one council member, one social scientist of international eminence nominated by the council and one person nominated by the government from among national research professors in social science who will be the chairman of this committee.

The term of the chairman which is renewable three years at present will now be for a term of non-renewable five years.

The composition of the ICSSR Council will also stand modified. The new Council will comprise nine ex-officio members and there will be twelve other non ex-officio members.

All these amendments in the Memorandum of Association of ICSSR are aimed at providing greater autonomy and ensuring better efficiency of the ICSSR.

ICSSR network to be restructured and restrenthened to remove regional imbalance and neglected disciplines

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