Example of how world-class research institute sought to be micromanaged: Cong on cap on research tenure at AIIMS

PTI, Jul 31, 2023, 11:09 AM IST

The Congress on Monday attacked the Union government over it reportedly imposing a cap on the tenure of those working on research projects at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, saying this was yet another example of how a world-class research institution is sought to be ”micromanaged and eventually destroyed”.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh tagged a media report on Twitter which claimed that the Union Health Ministry has imposed a six-year cap on the tenure of scientists working on research projects at the AIIMS-New Delhi.

”This is yet another example of how a world-class research institution built up over the decades is sought to be micromanaged and eventually destroyed by the (Narendra) Modi government,” Ramesh said in a tweet.

”The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, of which I was a member, had submitted its report on the ‘Functioning of AIIMS’ in August 2015 with a view to strengthen its autonomy and research capacity and capability. Instead, what we are witnessing now is those who do not understand how science and research gets done issuing directives,” the Congress general secretary said.

Earlier this month, scientists working on various research projects or pursuing PhD at the AIIMS here protested the administration’s proposal to limit the number of years one can be employed at projects at the premier medical institute.