NEW DELHI: The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) has issued a circular to its senior officers and scientists, instructing them to limit their interactions with the media.
The circular, issued on February 2 and seen by this newspaper, emphasises that media briefings must be conducted only by authorised officers and with prior approval. “It is reiterated that any briefing to the press/media, issuance of statements, release of sound bites, or sharing of official information shall be undertaken only by officers authorised for this purpose and after obtaining prior approval from the competent authority, so that accurate, correct, and authenticated information is disseminated to the press and media,” the letter states. “All ICAR employees are requested to kindly adhere to the above guidelines,” it added.
The circular was issued from the office of assistant director general (coordination) Anil Kumar and is directed to all ICAR officers, including the secretary of department of agricultural research and education (DARE), DG office, additional secretary of DARE, joint secretary, project directors, and heads of all ICAR institutions.
This directive is based on Rule 11 of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, and paragraph 13.4 of the Manual of Office Procedure, 2022. These rules outline the guidelines for government servants regarding interactions with the media.
The decision followed concerns raised by a ‘Non-GM Coalition’ regarding research outcomes and supposed manipulation related to genetically edited rice, which ICAR later addressed with a rebuttal. The guidelines issued by the ICAR also direct scientists to avoid publishing any research papers in international journals until they are fully confident about their findings.