A parliamentary panel has urged the Ministry of Education to address severe issues within India’s autonomous research organizations. The report, tabled recently in Parliament, highlighted problems including extensive leadership vacancies, inadequate researcher stipends, and significant funding gaps across key institutions like the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) and the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR).
The panel, led by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, emphasized that these challenges hinder research progress and impact recruitment for vital academic positions. Recommendations include increasing fellowship stipends, implementing updated pay scales, and ensuring prompt appointments to leadership roles.
Vacancies and Leadership Gaps
Many research bodies have operated without full-time directors for extended periods. The ICSSR, established in 1969 to promote social science research, has seen its chairperson position largely vacant since December 2019, with only one brief appointment between April 2022 and August 2023. The panel strongly recommended the Ministry appoint a fully empowered chairperson promptly and avoid future delays.
The Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) in Shimla also experienced a vacant director post from August 2021 until its recent filling in August 2025. Additionally, the three-year tenure of the IIAS Society and Governing Body lapsed in December 2024. The Institute currently has only two of the five sanctioned National Fellows, compromising its research potential.
Specific ICSSR institutes face severe staffing shortages:
| Institute | Vacancy Details |
|---|---|
| Nabakrushna Choudhary Centre for Development Studies, Bhubaneshwar | No full-time director in 5 years; 12 out of 14 sanctioned posts vacant. |
| Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Chandigarh | Acting director since 2018; 7 faculty positions vacant. |
| Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and Social Research (SPIESR), Ahmedabad | Acting director for 15 years; 9 out of 14 posts vacant. |
| Giri Institute of Development Studies, Lucknow | 9 out of 18 faculty posts vacant; 10 out of 11 research staff posts vacant. No recruitments since 2016. |
Low Research Stipends and Unimplemented Pay Scales
The panel noted a significant disparity in stipends. ICSSR doctoral fellows receive Rs 20,000 per month , which is substantially less than the UGC Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) of Rs 37,000 per month . The ICHR JRF also stands at a low Rs 17,600 , provided to only 80 students nationwide, a figure unrevised for years.
The committee recommended increasing both the stipend amounts and the number of fellowships offered by ICSSR and ICHR. It also highlighted that the Seventh Pay Commission’s recommendations for ICSSR’s research institutions and regional centers remain unimplemented despite a ministry committee being set up in 2022 to review this. No report has been issued as of June 2025, making faculty recruitment challenging.
Inadequate Funding and Coordination
Underfunding is a major concern across these institutions. The ICSSR requires expanded funding to support social sciences research, especially with the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP 2020). The panel criticized the Ministry of Education for withholding financial support for the 7th Pay Commission, even as state governments like Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Bihar implement their share of funding for these institutions.
Lack of coordination between central and state governments has also delayed funds. For example, the Giri Institute of Development Studies in Lucknow faces a 1.5-year lag in funds from the state government.
Auroville Foundation Recommendations
The panel reviewed the Auroville Foundation, an international cultural township. It recommended amending the Auroville Foundation Act, 1988, to recognize Auroville as an Institution of National Importance . Regarding funding, the panel suggested moving away from annual grants towards providing sufficient amounts to ensure the foundation’s long-term sustainability.
While welcoming Auroville’s Memorandum of Understanding with IIT Madras for a sustainability campus, the panel advised finding an alternative site. It recommended against disturbing the existing Annapurna Farms, which are crucial for Auroville’s food sustainability and organic farming vision.
ICPR and IIAS Specifics
The Indian Council for Philosophical Research (ICPR), established in 1977, holds one of Asia’s largest philosophy libraries. The panel found it severely underutilized and recommended enhancing its use, possibly through residential fellowships for scholars. It also advised reviewing a high-powered committee’s 2016-18 report on ICPR’s functioning.