Bengaluru: Irregularities in the appointments of a driver as well the institute director, no confirmation on selected candidates appearing for interviews, higher pay scales than recommended by the MHRD/ UGC and irregular creation of posts in elite scientific institutions in the city are among the major findings of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
The report (No. 26, 2016) on administrative functioning of autonomous bodies under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has made a few startling revelations against these institutes which are known internationally.
The report has indicted the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Indian Academy of Sciences and Raman Research Institute for violating various rules and regulations.
On recruitments at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, the report has stated how the appointment process was tweaked even to appoint a driver and how an ineligible candidate was chosen. The job was offered to a person in the waiting list instead of the one recommended by the Selection Committee.
But irregularities do not stop here. The DST appointed a director for the institute in January 2006 without constituting a search and selection committee, which has to be constituted with the approval of DoPT. Subsequently, an acting director was appointed for one year (from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013). But even that was done without consulting the search and selection committee.
The report stated that the Indian Academy of Sciences did not constitute a committee to screen applications received for any of the posts. The institute shortlisted ineligible candidates for interviews and finally selected them. In most of the cases, the information pertaining to the number of applications received and the details of such applications - names of the applicants, dates of receipt of applications etc. - were not available. The Academy had also not maintained an attendance sheet for the candidates who appeared for the interview. But as per the minutes of the selection committee, the shortlisted candidates did not appear for the interviews. "In the absence of an attendance sheet, we could not ascertain whether the candidates appeared for the interviews or not," the CAG reported.
It pointed out that the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research failed to adhere to the guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission on the pay structure of the academic staff. Higher pay scales resulted in an excess expenditure of Rs 6.43 crore on recruitments and promotions. The report also pointed out that during 2009-14, 19 academic staff members were promoted and nine of them were selected randomly. JNCASR incurred excess expenditure of Rs 3.15 crore towards pay and allowances by adopting higher pay scales.
