Parliamentary panel faults Centre’s move to disengage 7-decade-old NIRDPR

In a scathing attack on the Union government, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayat Raj has faulted the Union Ministry of Rural Development’s (MoRD) move to disengage the Hyderabad-based seven-decade-old National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (NIRDPR).

The 10th report of the panel, headed by Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, on the functioning of NIRDPR tabled in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (July 22, 2025), raised several pertinent questions on the move to disengage the reputed autonomous organisation which has been known for its expertise in building capacities of rural development functionaries, elected representatives, financial institutions and community-based organisations.

In its 35-page report, the panel minced no words in pointing that any move to delink NIRDPR from MoRD represents not only an administrative change but a fundamental shift away from core national priorities. It pointed out that the institution has grown under the aegis of MoRD with global recognition, a highly qualified faculty, vast infrastructure and an expansive reach.

Undermines credibility

“Hence, the Committee opines that any disengagement as decided by the government undermines its credibility and authority in policymaking likely to dilute the quality of long-term research and training, divert it into unrelated or short-term consultative activities and sever its intellectual alignment with the rural development ecosystem,” it observed.

It did not stop at that and wondered that it was at a loss to understand that such a centre of excellence instrumental in nation building and national development especially in rural areas since the last 70-years, has to be abruptly disengaged by the government with the sole aim of furthering “minimum government and maximum governance”.

The panel opined that disengagement will not reduce government expenditure. Instead, it will shift costs to various agencies with disparate mandates, further increasing the burden on MoRD officers for oversight and coordination. “Moreover, the financial instability due to disengagement may force the institution to drift away from supporting the flagship programmes/schemes of rural development,” it mentioned in the report.

Stating that rather than disengagement, the need of the hour is to forge deeper strategic collaboration between MoRD and NIRDPR through structural reforms, decentralised decision making, adequate allocation of budgetary grant-in-aid and with greater autonomy, allow the institute to thrive and grow within the existing MoRD framework.

Keeping in view the immense contribution of NIRD & PR, it wanted MoRD to take the lead and come out with a strategic plan/new roadmap and prevail upon the Department of Expenditure to halt the disengagement and allow the institute to continue and sustain itself.

Flags lack of internal review

A serious lapse it found was how the disengagement plan submitted to MoRD was neither internally reviewed nor externally validated, making it the work of a single individual rather than a collective institutional vision. “Infrastructure has been poorly maintained under the guise of cost-cutting, leading to declining training ratings and a diminishing brand image,” the report mentioned and pointed out how the faculty morale is at an all-time low due to ad hoc inter-centre transfer policy, unresolved vigilance cases (non-financial in nature), long-pending promotions through Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) and lack of leadership trust. It did not mince words in stating that the over the past four years, the institute got paralysed by the present administration.

Finally, the panel also disapproved the attitude of the present executive council towards the problems being faced by the employees serving and retired who are not able to get their salary/pension in time. In view of the above, the Committee strongly recommend the MoRD to expeditiously constitute a committee under its supervision to oversee 19 administrative and governance matters so as to prevent the situation from going bad to worse.

In order to ensure effective leadership and institutional stability, the Committee wanted immediate review and replacement of the current administration, which has failed to maintain faculty trust or organisational coherence and till then grant already extended by the government may be continued. It favoured constitution of a MoRD led Committee to oversee administrative and governance matters at NIRD&PR.