The Union government has revoked the suspension order of International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) director K.S. James, passed in late July citing irregularities in recruitments, and also accepted his resignation submitted in early August, through two official orders issued by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry last Wednesday.
Mr. James’ suspension as director of IIPS was lifted on the basis of what the Ministry termed “material changes in the circumstances” without specifying if the alleged irregularities had been proven untrue.
Noting that “Hon’ble HFM [Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya] is the Disciplinary Authority” in the IIPS director’s case, the Ministry’s statistics division revoked the suspension order on October 11 ‘with immediate effect’.
“Whereas approval of the Hon’ble HFM… was received for his [James’] suspension w.e.f. 28.07.2023, as per Rule 10(1)(a) of CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965…. the competent authority, on subsequent review, is of the opinion that in view of material changes in the circumstances, the suspension of Prof. K. S. James may not be extended further,” the order said.
On the same day, another order was issued noting that the director had tendered his resignation on August 7 “owing to personal grounds” and the resignation had been accepted. The resignation would take effect “from the date of clearance of his government dues or with immediate effect, whichever is later”.
The IIPS, deemed to be a university, also conducts vital studies like the National Family Health Survey, Assessment of National Rural Health Mission, and the Global Adult Tobacco Survey.
‘Not a punishment’
Following reports speculating about links between his suspension to some data points in health surveys, the Ministry had asserted it was not a punishment but aimed at ensuring a free and fair investigation into “prima facie” irregularities observed in, among other things, faculty recruitments, reservation rosters and dead stock registers. The suspension initially was “for a period of 90 days or completion of further investigation, whichever is earlier.”
Members of the Opposition parties and the scientific community had questioned the move and termed it a sign of the Centre’s continuing uneasy relationship with data-based evidence on development.
On Monday, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said the suspension was based on the “flimsiest of charges” and its revocation after the director’s resignation in August “is a face-saving charade by the government”. Calling Mr. James’ “premature and forced” exit a big blow to the world of demographic scholarship, Mr. Ramesh said: “Eventually, the credibility of our institutions and governance suffers.”
As of Monday evening, the IIPS website continued to show him as its director and senior professor. Mr. James holds a Ph.D. in demography from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi and has been a Visiting Fellow at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands, the University of Southampton in the U.K., among others. He has co-authored books and major reports, including the India Ageing Report 2017 for the United Nations Population Fund, and Population Ageing in India for the Cambridge University Press.
