The Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS), a prestigious think-tank, has been waiting for a director for more than a year now.The institute finalised the name of Peter Ronald D’Souza, a scholar at the Centre for Studies on Developing Societies in Delhi. But the governing body of the institute has been questioned for not following correct procedure.This was what happened. A selection committee recommended the name of Amitabh Kundu, of Jawaharlal Nehru University. But he refused to take a job in Shimla. Next on the list was Dr Rajeev Bhargava, of Delhi University.But the governing board instead settled for D’Souza.The problem cropped up when the decision was conveyed to the Cabinet Committee on Appointments (CCA), which has to clear the appointment. The CCA wrote to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, which controls the institute, asking why proper procedure was not followed.“There is nothing against the choice of the person. Actually, these queries are merely related to the procedure adopted in making the recommendation. We have given the instructions for sending the replies. We hope it will not face problems now,” said a senior HRD official.The institute chairman Balachandra Mungekar, a member of the Planning Commission, recently said a new director would be in place shortly. But now, sources say, it could take much longer.The worst had come for the governing body when Delhi High Court passed severe strictures for inordinate delays on appointment of the director: “It’s is a sorry state of affairs that an institution of the status of Indian Institute of Advanced Study is running today without a full-time director. We desire that a Director should be appointed immediately so that he can take over the charge and do whatever is necessary for the development of the aforesaid prestigious institute of national importance.”
