The Academic Association of the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR), Hyderabad, has urged Union Minister of Rural Development and Chairperson of the General Council of NIRDPR Shivraj Singh Chouhan to initiate action for the time-bound implementation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee’s recommendations on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, as the report contains important observations and recommendations concerning the governance and institutional autonomy of NIRDPR.
In a letter to the Minister, the association said that the committee had recommended that the Union Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) forge a deeper collaboration with NIRDPR and halt the disengagement process. The committee’s report, tabled in Parliament on July 22, 2025, highlights several concerns regarding NIRDPR’s governance, academic functioning and institutional autonomy.
Key recommendations include constituting a MoRD-led committee to oversee administrative and governance matters, expediting the filling of vacancies, and reorganising the current management structure. According to the association, the committee noted that NIRDPR has been paralysed over the past four years, with key posts lying vacant or being handled by lower-rank officers on an ad-hoc basis.
Faculty morale is reportedly at an all-time low due to issues such as unresolved vigilance cases, long-pending promotions, and a lack of leadership trust. The report also highlighted that NIRDPR is working with only 221 employees against a sanctioned strength of 640, leaving 419 vacancies.
Published – July 29, 2025 08:55 pm IST
