The Department of Science and Technology (DST), which is the main source of funds and sustenance for at least 30 autonomous research bodies — some of them of global prestige — is in the middle of a “rationalisation” exercise that involves merging, “disengaging” and even closure of some organisations.
The DST exercise is part of a larger project initiated by the Centre to reduce the number of autonomous institutions funded by various Ministries. A high-level committee led by Ratan Wattal, Principal Advisor of NITI Aayog, had undertaken a review of autonomous bodies in 2017. This year the DST has budgeted ₹1,225 crore for its autonomous institutions, or a little over 15% of its roughly ₹8,000-crore budget.
A media report had highlighted in 2021 that the Finance Ministry recommended 83 of the 231 autonomous bodies to be retained and 117 merged into 29 entities. It recommended that the Centre “disengage” from 20 entities. The department also proposed that seven autonomous bodies be closed. After rationalisation is completed, only 111 autonomous bodies would remain. However, details of the structural changes proposed to DST’s autonomous institutions haven’t been previously reported.
