Union Health Ministry allegedly asked for Prof James' resignation. When he declined, he was suspended, pushing him to resign.
Published Oct 17, 2023 | 3:28 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 17, 2023 | 3:28 PM
The Union Health Ministry allegedly asked for Prof James' resignation. When he reportedly declined, it's claimed he was suspended, pushing him to resign. Resignation was accepted and suspension revoked the same day.
The credibility of future National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) may come in for some questioning given the controversial manner in which the government has handled the exit of India’s topmost population data specialist, Prof KS James, as director of the International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS).
The IIPS oversees the key NFHS surveys, which influence health policy in India and whose data is keenly awaited to assess the success of the Union government’s health, welfare, and nutrition schemes.
The Union government was apparently embarrassed by some data revealed by NFHS-5.
According to sources in IIPS, the ministry originally approached the director for his resignation after the minister allegedly questioned the accuracy of data concerning certain metrics which were embarrassing for the government. However, Prof James remained firm in his defence of the results of the NFHS survey.
“This had irked the ministry and they wanted the professor to resign. However, Prof James didn’t resign then; but ultimately the government succeeded in getting what they wanted,” an IIPS source told South First.
The government originally suspended Prof James in July, pending an inquiry into charges of irregularities against him. The next month, he put in his papers citing personal reasons.
In October, the government suddenly lifted the suspension, without mentioning the charges or their veracity. And on that very day, it accepted the resignation tendered in August.
South First has learnt that Prof James is currently at Laxenburg in Austria, where he is visiting faculty at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). It is an international research institute that advances systems analysis and applies its research methods to identify policy solutions to reduce human footprints.
Prof James plans to stay abroad for about a year or so to continue academic work.
The government is unwilling to comment on the extraordinary circumstances leading to the easing out of the population specialist. This comes at a time when survey work for the NFHS-6 is being undertaken. The details are expected next year.
A senior scientist who requested anonymity told South First, “The Union government’s obviously intentional silence till Prof James resigned is not just disregard of the scientific community, but shows the ministry’s intent of ‘how to silence the honest voice’.”
On 28 July, the Union Health Ministry suspended Prof James. Subsequently, the ministry shared an undated and unsigned note with the media, asserting that a preliminary review by a fact-finding committee found substance in 11 of 35 complaints reportedly lodged against Prof James.
“The irregularities were mainly regarding the lapses observed in certain appointments, recruitments of faculty, reservation rosters, dead stock registers, etc,” the note from the ministry stated.
The ministry failed to explicitly state the allegations for which the committee deemed James culpable or the specific complaints they had registered. Moreover, the report from the fact-finding committee was never disclosed to the public.
A source in IIPS, who gave South First an insider’s perspective on the events that had led to Prof James’s suspension, had said: “While the ministry had hoped for Prof James’s resignation, the decision to suspend him caught everyone off guard.”
South First has reliably learnt that Prof James had consulted several officials from the ministry and understood that there was “no point in waiting for any communication or investigation from the ministry” and decided to resign on 7 August, citing “personal reasons”.
Order revoking suspension of Prof James.
After nearly three months of conspicuous silence from the ministry, during which they had no communication with Prof James until he finally resigned in August, the ministry officially lifted his suspension on 11 October.
The ministry sent out an order (a copy of which is with South First) stating, “Consequent upon tendering of the resignation dated 7-08-2023 by Prof KS James, Director and Senior Professor, IIPS, Mumbai, owing to personal grounds, the President is pleased to accept the resignation of Prof KS James from the post of Director and Senior Professor, Institute of Population Sciences with effect from the date of clearance of his Government dues or with immediate effect, whichever is later.”
The same day, another order revoking his suspension was issued, which stated:
“WHEREAS Prof K S James, Director and Senior Professor, IIPS, Mumbai was placed under suspension vide order no A.40018/03/2023-Stats (IIPS) dated 28.07.2023 in terms of Clause (a) of sub-rule (10 of Rule 10 of the central civil services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965 w.e.f 28.07.2023.
“WHEREAS Prof K S James is a group ‘A’ officer and in his case, Hon’ble HFM is the Disciplinary Authority.
Notification accepting resignation of Prof James.
“WHEREAS the approval of the Hon’ble HFM being the disciplinary authority irespect of Prof K S James, Group ‘A’ officer was received for his suspension w.e.f 28.07.2023 as per rule 10(1)(a) of CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965.
“WHEREAS the competent authority, on subsequent review, is of the opinion that in view of material changes in the circumstances, the suspension of Prof K S James may not be extended further.
“Now, THEREFORE, the President in exercise of powers conferred by Clause © of sub rule (5) of Rule 10 of CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965 hereby revokes the suspension of Prof K S James, Director and Senior Professor, IIPS, Mumbai, with immediate effect.”
A source confirmed that nobody at IIPS till date is aware of the 11 charges which the committee had found prima facie true in the preliminary report of the ministry, and which led to the director’s suspension.
Some of Prof James’ colleagues feel “angry and helpless” and, as they told South First, “This is a clear message being sent out by the government. While we know now that whoever will be appointed to this office will not be allowed to have any say on the NFHS-6 survey and we can’t guarantee any authenticity of the data that would come out of this survey.”
Here is the chronology of events:
- 28 July: Suspension
- 7 August: Resignation
- 11 Oct: Suspension Revoked
- 11 Oct: Reinstated
- 11 Oct: Resignation accepted
The purpose of the government was not to carry out an investigation “but delay, and frustrate so that anyone would leave. This is the method followed. I understand people are kept like this sometimes for several years, which is a sad reality. It’s unfortunate that such an able director, an honest scientist, had to face this kind of humiliation”, a renowned professor told South First.
Members of Opposition parties and the scientific community have expressed anger and dismay at the Union ministry’s actions. Taking to X, several scientists expressed anger as well.
One such post by Pankaj Kumar in Hindi loosely translates to: “Modi, BJP, and RSS have left no stone unturned to destroy the Indian Established System. Unfortunately, SC is silent! Prof K S James is a pawn to it.”
Another post by Aruna Urs said, “Prof KS James is going for work in Vienna! Good for him. But that does not take away the facts that cult worshippers wanted to!”
Prof KS James is going for work in Vienna! Good for him. But that does not fake away the facts that cult worshippers wanted to! https://t.co/sLKZSlUAsb pic.twitter.com/Zd8r4ZHcWR
— Aruna Urs (@Arunaurs) October 16, 2023
CPI(M) Central Committee member and former Kerala finance minister, Dr TM Thomas Isaac, said: “Pro KS James of IIPS resigns and his suspension from its directorship is revoked. So, the suspension was only a ploy to get him out of the way so that the government could have its way of tampering with NFHS data. Shamelessness has become the synonym for the Modi government. #IIPScontroversy.”
In fact, Dr Isaac had taken to Facebook to write: “In my previous post, I highlighted the troubling actions taken by the Union government in manipulating the 2021 census, unemployment survey, consumer survey, and poverty figures. The suspension of Prof James has further exacerbated the severity of these attempts to undermine data accuracy and transparency, pushing these measures beyond acceptable limits.”
Pro KSJames of IIPS resigns and his suspension from it’s directorship is revoked. So suspension was only a ploy to get him out of the way so that government can have it’s way in tampering with NFHS data. Shamelessness has become the synonym for Modi government.#IIPScontroversy.
— Thomas Isaac (@drthomasisaac) October 17, 2023
The revelations from the NFHS-5, which Prof James had staunchly defended, showed that there was a marked increase in anaemia among women and children. The data showed a dramatic increase from 59 percent to 67 percent among children between six months and five years.
The figures embarrassed the Union government which had initiated the Anaemia Mukt Bharat campaign in 2018. The data was criticised and the method of using capillary samples was blamed for the figures being so high.
Also, the survey said no state or Union Territory has attained total Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, indicating no region can claim 100 percent of its population has access to toilets. This busted another claim of the Union government about a scheme championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.
The much-touted Ujjwala, another scheme often spoken of by Modi, also seemed to have missed its mark, as over half of the rural populace still remains without access to LPG, the data revealed.
Now, with the NFHS-6 survey progressing and about a year left to complete, the suspension/resignation of the director of IIPS, who is mainly responsible for the data from the survey, has forced scientists and experts to fear the waning trust in the NFHS data.
“Even if there are improvements in the figures, who will trust the NFHS anymore?” a faculty member said, reflecting a sentiment many share.
In another worrying development, there are apprehensions regarding the IIPS and its future international partnerships.
The institution had been at the forefront of several global collaborations, planning joint programmes with overseas universities. Esteemed global organisations like UNICEF, UNFPA, and USAID have previously partnered with IIPS for diverse surveys. The fate of these collaborations now seems uncertain.
