Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday reviewed the functioning of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes and ordered a show-cause notice to Pune grape research institute director over lapses, while seeking a wider review of appointments and leadership systems.
As President of ICAR, Chouhan today chaired a high-level meeting in Delhi with the ICAR Director General and senior officials to review the functioning, accountability, quality and farmer-oriented outcomes of ICAR institutions, according to an official release. He said ICAR institutions are central to India’s agricultural progress and therefore must ensure excellence, vision, accountability and measurable results in their work. The minister directed that a show-cause notice be issued to Dr Kaushik Banerjee, Director of the National Research Centre for Grapes, Pune, and said further action should follow if the response is found unsatisfactory. He also sought detailed presentations on the process for appointing institute directors, recruitment systems for scientists, and the selection mechanism for administrative and scientific leadership to facilitate a comprehensive systemic review.
