Govt revokes suspension of Professor James who served as director of IIPS

Professor K S James has now assumed the role of a senior research scholar at the Population and Just Societies Programme at the International Institute for Applied System Analysis in Austria, sources told The Indian Express.

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Professor James had been placed under temporary suspension on July 28 in the backdrop of alleged irregularities being probed by the Union Health Ministry. (Photo: IIPS)

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The Union Health Ministry has revoked the suspension of Professor K S James, who served as the Director of the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), and has additionally accepted his resignation, official notifications issued by the central government states.

Professor K S James, renowned as the country’s foremost researcher in the field of population studies, has now assumed the role of a senior research scholar at the Population and Just Societies Programme at the International Institute for Applied System Analysis in Austria, sources told The Indian Express.

James had been placed under temporary suspension on July 28 in the backdrop of alleged irregularities being probed by the Union Health Ministry. In October 2018, James was appointed as the Director of IIPS. Prior to joining IIPS, he was a Professor of Population Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He also served as Professor and Head of the Population Research Centre, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru.

In a ‘brief note’, issued on July 29, the health ministry had said that ‘‘various complaints’ were received regarding “irregularities” in “recruitments, appointments, and compliance of reservation order”. To investigate these issues, a Fact Finding Committee was constituted on May 8 and later found “prima facie irregularities in 11 out of the 35 complaints received,” the brief note said. The health ministry said that during the “period of further process of investigation”, it was decided to suspend James. It had, however, highlighted that the suspension “is not a punishment but resorted to in specific circumstances to pave way for fair and free investigation”.

On October 11, the statistics division of the Union Health Ministry issued an order stating that the “competent authority” on “subsequent review”, was of opinion that in “view of material changes in the circumstances”, the suspension of James many to be “extender further”. On the same day, another order was issued by the Union Health Ministry. “Consequent upon tendering of the resignation….Prof. K S James…owing to personal grounds, the President is pleased to accept the resignation of Prof. K S James from the post of Director and Senior Professor, International Institute for Population Sciences,” the order states.

Kaunain Sheriff M

As City Editor ( Delhi) at the Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff leads city reporting with a sharp focus on accountability journalism, data-driven stories, and ground-level impact. As the National Health Editor he leads the newsroom’s in-depth coverage of pressing health issues. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, a definitive investigation into the accountability of one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical corporations. Areas of Expertise Investigative Reporting: Has deep expertise in investigative reporting spanning public health, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and the criminal justice system. His work sits at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability, with a particular focus on how regulatory failures, institutional lapses, and policy decisions affect citizens’ rights and safety. Data Journalism: Has extensively on big data–driven investigations, including analyses of flagship government schemes and large datasets on criminal trials, uncovering systemic gaps. Global Collaborations Kaunain is a key contributor to major international journalistic projects: The Implant Files: Collaborated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to expose global malpractices in the medical device industry. Chinese Big-Data Investigation: Uncovered how a foreign data firm monitored thousands of prominent Indian institutions and individuals in real-time. Awards & Recognition His commitment to "Journalism of Courage" has been recognized with the industry's highest honors: Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism SOPA Award (Society of Publishers in Asia) Red Ink Award (Mumbai Press Club) Indian Express Excellence Awards (Triple recipient for investigations into the NSA abuse in UP, Vyapam scam, and the anti-Sikh riots). Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Bangalore, before moving to Delhi to pursue his passion for journalism. His engineering training informs his analytical approach, enabling him to decode technical, legal, and data-heavy systems with precision. Social media LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaunain-sheriff-3a00ab99 X ( fromerly Twitter): @kaunain_s ... Read More

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