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CSIR draws flak from CAG for not performing
It comes under criticism over a 40 to 70% shortfall in publication of research papers, reports Satyen Mohapatra.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has come under criticism from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for dissatisfactory generation of revenue, mismanagement, non-utilisation of equipment and over a 40 to 70 per cent shortfall in the publication of research papers.
In its latest report on scientific departments for the year ended March 2006, the CAG said that CSIR spent Rs 262.38 crore on the modernisation of 39 laboratories and institutes, but could not achieve the main objective of generating additional revenue. On top of it, many of the laboratories and institutes were unable to achieve the set target.
The modernisation proposal had envisaged generation of revenue (External Cash Flow) through utilisation of the equipment purchased under the programme. This apart, the modernisation programme also aimed at increasing the publication of research papers, filing of patents and development of new products.
Under the modernisation programme, 29 laboratories and institutes were expected to achieve an incremental ECF of Rs 361.09 crore, the report said.
As against this target, while 11 laboratories and institutes earned incremental benefits of Rs 279.61 crore, 18 generated negative incremental benefit of Rs.294.67 crore. There was thus a deficit of Rs. 15.06 crore.
The CAG report has said that publication of research papers is considered an important performance indicator for a scientific organisation.
Only three laboratories fixed a target of publishing 967 research papers in their proposals submitted to CSIR. The remaining 36 laboratories did not fix any target despite publication being identified as one of the tangible benefits under the modernisation programme.
