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Finance Ministry’s recommendation to divest Wildlife Institute of India
Why is it in News?
- The Finance Ministry recommended to divest the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) of its status as an autonomous body of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
- It has triggered anxiety among scientists at the organisation.
Details:
- Events:
(1) The Finance Ministry moves follows a review by its Expenditure Department of 194 autonomous bodies across 18 Ministries.
(2) Of them, 109 bodies must be merged into 26, and government must “disengage” from 23, one which is the WII.
- Finance Ministry:
(1) In the case of WII, the government will cut funding to the WII by 25% every year.
(2)It could become a ‘Deemed University’ engaged in teaching and research.
(3) The Central government could continue to access WII advisory and training services as a “client.”
- WII stand:
(1) There were too few students and courses offered by the institute for it to qualify as a Deemed University.
(2) It had twice been rebuffed by the University Grants Commission on these grounds.
(3) The major responsibility of this Institute is to provide advice to MoEFCC based on scientific information on policy and management of the country’s Wildlife Resources.
(4) This role can only be performed and remains relevant as long as the institute remains a part of the MoEFCC
WII:
- The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change.
- It was established in 1982.
- WII carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Forensics, Spatial Modeling, Ecodevelopment, Ecotoxicology, Habitat Ecology and Climate Change.
- The institute is based in Dehradun, India.