Monday, May 20

“Modi Government Has No Place For Independent, Professional Voices”: Congress

Edited by Kabani R
"The Modi Government Has No Place For Independent, Professional Voices": Congress (image: iipsindia.ac.in)

Congress says that in the Modi government there is “no place for independent, professional voices.” The party’s allegation was in the context of the Centre’s reported revocation of suspension of the Indian Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS) Director KS James after he proposed his resignation.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh’s remark came over a media report that claimed that the Union government has revoked the suspension order of Mr James and accepted his resignation from the post as Director.

Took to his official social media page on X, Congress MP wrote: “Earlier this year, I had expressed disgust at the way this fine scholar was being treated by the Modi government— the only fault of his was the data collected by an independent institution under his leadership was inconvenient to the Modi government.”

He then continued about trajectory of Mr James’ suspension, following his resignation on August, and now revocation of his suspension as a tactical step by the ruling government. Although this move is welcoming since it enables to maintain his honour, the premature and forced resignation is a “big blow to the world of demographic scholarship,” he added

IIPS works under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and it undertakes important studies like the National Family Health Survey, the Assessment of National Rural Health Mission and the Global Adult Tobacco Survey. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has suspended Mr James on July 28, over alleged irregularities in recruitments.

“The Modi government has no place for independent, professional voices. All it wants is drum-beaters. Eventually, the credibility of our institutions and governance suffers,” Congress MP added.