Csir Asked To Streamline Staffing Pattern

The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) should review the entire staffing pattern of its scientific and administrative personnel and adopt a business-like approach to optimise productivity, according to the parliamentary standing committee on science and technology.

In its 52nd report on demands for grants for the department of scientific and industrial research, tabled in Parliament yesterday, the committee recommended that apart from modernising its laboratories, the Council should have faster communication facilities andgive a business-like appearance to attracts customers and provides business to the laboratories. The committee said it endorsed the need to modernise CSIR laboratories as at present they give the look of some department-run offices with not much takers of its facilities.

Besides modernising, the laboratories should charge on a commercial basis any agency using their test facilities.

Noting that the current ratio of scientific and technical employees to administrative employees works out to 3:1, it said the ratio should be brought down to a level where productivity is optimum.

The committee suggested that the Council cut down its non-plan expenditure, which may be funded from its commercial activities, to reduce the burden on the national exchequer.