Officials said on Saturday that the Indian Social Science Research (ICSSR) Center for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) would set up a two -member committee to investigate alleged administrative and financial irregularities.
The investigation follows a show-causal notice issued by ICSSR on 20 August, cited the “gross violation” of the grant-in-ed regulations, under which the apex social science research body is 90% of CSDS salaries and 50% of its administrative costs.
CSDS co-director Sanjay Kumar started an investigation after facing legal action to post wrong election data on social media platform X. On August 19, the Sisfologist misbehaved in the Deoli and Ramtek assembly constituencies of Maharashtra for incorrectly apologizing for reporting a significant decline in voter numbers in Maharashtra’s Deoli and Ramtek assembly constituencies due to misbehavior in comparison to the Lok Sabha elections.
District election officials in Nashik and Nagpur later registered cases against Kumar against Kumar for allegedly misleading votes with wrong 2024 electoral figures against Kumar. However, the Supreme Court on August 25 stopped Maharashtra’s Furs.
Under the Union Ministry of Education, an autonomous body ICSSR had threatened to withdraw money when he failed to deliberately explain the “wrong bayani of facts” within seven days.
An ICSSR officer, speaking anonymously, confirmed that CSDS presented its response, which is currently subject to reviews. “They have addressed some questions, but have not given any clarification about irregularities in the appointments of faculty and non-educational staff (HRA) payment,” the official said.
Kumar refused to comment, stating that he was “not the right person” to discuss development, while CSDS Director Awadhendra Sharan did not answer HT’s questions.
The investigation of the committee is independent of CSDS’s response, the officer clarified, stating that the purpose of the panel is to collect reliable evidence before deciding the next stages. “It is not an foreground conclusion that action will be taken; everything depends on the result of the investigation. We believe that an independent investigation is necessary for transparency,” the official said.
The committee will be informed with terms of its reference on Monday or Tuesday, although members are making pending internal discussions unknown.
According to a parliamentary response on August 7, 2023, the Ministry of Education informed the Lok Sabha which CSD received 13.92 crores from ICSSR in three years, from 2020-21 to the first quarter of 2023-24.
