NEW DELHI: In a sudden move, the centre has suspended the director of the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) that prepares the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) over alleged irregularities.
However, sources privy to information claimed that the suspension order of IIPS Director and senior professor K S James was issued because the government was reportedly “unhappy with the unfavourable health data, especially on anemia, and on the number of toilets in the country, which was contrary to their claims, didn’t go down well with the centre.”
“The suspension order shows that truth and data is the casualty,” said sources on the grounds of anonymity.
The letter of suspension, issued by Amrit Lal Jangid, joint director in the Statistics Division of the Union Health Ministry, is dated July 28. A copy of the letter was published in The New Indian Express.
As per the report of the suspension of the institute's director, which conducts NFHS survey that provides crucial information on topics like fertility, infant, child mortality, etc., the practice of family planning, maternal and child health, reproductive health, nutrition, anemia, and utilisation and quality of health as well as family planning services in India went viral.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned the government. In a tweet, he said: “When the data does not support the narrative being peddled by the Prime Minister and his drumbeaters, the Modi government will do one or all of the following: deny access to data, dispute the methodology into question, discard the data, discontinue its publication, defame those in charge of collating and putting it out.”
He continued, “Speaking of data, there is still no sight of the census that should have been conducted in 2021...”
In a statement, the union health ministry, which has administrative control over the Mumbai-based IIPS, justified the suspension, saying that they had recently received complaints regarding irregularities in recruitment, appointments and compliance with reservation orders.
To investigate these issues, a fact-finding committee (FFC) was formed on May 8. The ministry said the FFC found “prima facie irregularities in 11 of the 35 complaints received. These irregularities were mainly regarding lapses observed in certain appointments, recruitments of faculty, reservation rosters, dead stock registers, etc.”
It further said the FCC has also recommended detailed inquiry against the concerned registrars for the corresponding period and also of the concerned director.
“As the charges are serious and grave in nature and director, IIPS being the head of the Institute also is, directly and indirectly, responsible for failure to exercise adequate supervision,” the statement said, adding that he "failed to detect these irregularities promptly and take corrective action promptly."
“Therefore, his presence as head of the institute may hinder a fair investigation and cause interference in the proceedings. ..It felt necessary to prevent this avoidable interference in the free, fair and fast investigation to gather sufficient documentary evidence and corroborating facts and circumstantial evidence to frame a firm charge sheet to institute a fair disciplinary proceeding against the director and other officers (if required),” it added.
Hence during the period of a further process of investigation; it was decided to suspend him under Rule (10 (1) (a) of CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965.
However, the statement clarified that the suspension is not a punishment but resorted to in specific circumstances to pay the way for a fair and accessible investigation.
“The suspension is initially for 90 days or completion of further investigation, whichever is earlier, which is irrevocable with the approval of suspension revocation committee/review committee in the ministry,” it added.
The suspension order mentions that the director cannot “leave the headquarter without obtaining the previous permission of the competent authority.”
The sudden suspension of James, who has 26 years of research and teaching experience in population studies, came as a “shock” to many in the institute.
“I am not able to digest this fact. This is shocking news,” said one senior faculty member on the grounds of anonymity.
The New Indian Express reached out to Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), IIPS, Lt Col Prashant Borde, who refused to comment on the issue and said that "he is on leave."
K S James was appointed as director of the institute in 2018. The IIPS website, which still shows him as director, says he has a postdoctoral degree from Harvard Centre for Population and Development, Harvard University, 2000.
Before joining IIPS, James was a professor of population studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Acting Director, Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru; Master in Population Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, and MA Economics from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, in, 1989.