V Prakash resumes charge as CFTRI head

After about three months, V Prakash has resumed charge as director of the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore

Visvesvaraiah Prakash was appointed secretary to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, and Director General of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi in November last. He was to succeed the outgoing CSIR chief R A Mashelkar.

Soon after going to Delhi, Prakash returned to Mysore without taking charge as planned by him on January 1, on grounds of illness. After returning to his home town, Prakash, who still held the post of CFTRI director, went on leave. Later he told Business Standard that he started losing weight all of a sudden and doctors suggested a thorough medical check up.

In the absence of a full-fledged director general after Mashelkar, Secretary to the Department of Science & Technology (DST) Ramaswamy holds the additional charge at CSIR. K N Gurudutt was CFTRI's incharge director during the leave of Prakash.

Though the CFTRI's full-fledged chief is back now, the CSIR DG post is still vacant. The Government of India has to initiate steps to fill the top post at CSIR, with a total budget of Rs 1,800 crore, a chain of 38 R&D establishments and 80 field stations spread across India, manned by 4,800 scientists, besides auxilliary and other staff.

The elaborate process involves the appointment of a search committee to find a top scientist to head the country's prestigious R&D organisation. It is yet to be known whether this confidential process has been set in motion.

When contacted, Prakash said that he had just reported back as CFTRI director. He was suffering from a severe intestinal infection and had lost around 12 kg in the last few months. He was back to normal after treatment, but still need to be cautious.

As far as DG's post, the director said, "Let me first settle down. I have just resumed charge."