Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has said that all the recent recruitments have been done strictly as per the Model Qualifications duly approved by the Competent Authority and has refuted allegation of irregularities in appointments of agricultural scientists.
Raising serious concern over appointment of Director of Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Venugopal Badaravada, a Governing Body member of ICAR had last week sought a high-level inquiry into recruitment took place within ICAR during the past five years. He had said in a statement that the abrupt reassignment of Ch. Srinivasa Rao, who was previously serving as Director of Hyderabad-based National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), while on an official tour to New Delhi, is ‘unprecedented’.
Reacting to the allegation, ICAR in a statement on Monday said, “strongly objects to such baseless allegations that are not just factually incorrect but are highly misleading as well.”
There is no change in Essential Qualifications (EQs) for the post of Director of Delhi-based IARI, same qualifications have been followed for current recruitment process as was in 2019, it said claiming “there has been no change in the EQs for any scientific position of ICAR in the last five years.”
“It appears that a few disgruntled elements are unnecessarily spreading rumours to misguide a Governing Body (GB) member for their own vested interests,” the statement said.
A senior scientist who was in charge of IARI in the past said that instead of allegations and rebuttal in the media, the top leaders of ICAR should sit together and resolve the issues and the agriculture minister should take the initiative. “Such mud slinging does not do good for ICAR, which should take issues seriously particularly when raised from within,” the scientist suggested.
The ICAR statement said that Rao was already serving as Director NAARM at the time of his selection as the Director, IARI and there are provisions that permit relieving an official while being on tour since an employee on tour remains on official duty. It also denied any procedural anomalies in the case since such approvals can be accorded through e-mails and/or e-Office mode as per stipulated Office Procedures. “Calling such procedures as “Abrupt” and “Unprecedented” is improper, defamatory and reflects lack of knowledge on the part of rumour monger,” it said.
