Endinag a protracted legal war between the University Grants Commission (UGC) and research scientists, the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has set up a three-member committee to work out a new scheme that would promote research in Science and Humanities.Almost four years ago, when the pro-BJP Hari Gautam was heading the UGC, the Commission began having problems with researchers from the science and social science disciplines. Several leading researchers, especially ‘‘a few who did not subscribe to the BJP’s ideological standpoint’’, found that their review reports were terrible. The matter went to court.The UGC lost in some of the court cases, but was pursuing the suits in higher courts.HRD Minister Arjun Singh has put an end to this. The new committee, which will reintroduce the scheme, is headed by eminent scientist, Professor C.N.R. Rao. The other members of the committee are Additional Secretary Sudeep Banerjee and economist, Professor Prabhat Patnaik.The UGC had floated the scheme of ‘‘research scientists’’ in 1983-84, with the ‘‘objective of providing basic research facilities to bright young researchers’’. Two hundred such research posts were created — 100 for science subjects and 100 for the social sciences. According to the scheme, the researchers were to initially be granted ‘‘awards’’ for a period of five years. Their work would be evaluated within this time period and awards would accordingly be continued or withdrawn. Researchers could also be promoted for another five years, based on performance. The three posts were Lecturers, Readers and Professors.
