Parliament Question: Financial Lapses, Project Delays and Governance Failures

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1785 (ANSWERED ON 29.07.2026) FINANCIAL LAPSES, PROJECT DELAYS AND GOVERNANCE FAILURES 1785. ADV K. FRANCIS GEORGE: Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has taken note of the recent observation of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) regarding financial irregularities, project delays, unspent funds and governance deficiencies in scientific institutions and organisations under its administrative control and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether any review has identified systemic weaknesses in project monitoring, financial management, fund utilisation and implementation of scientific programmes and if so, the details thereof; (c) whether persistent manpower shortages, vacant posts and recruitment delays have adversely affected the functioning of scientific institutions and if so, the details thereof; (d) whether accountability has been fixed for financial administrative lapses and if so, the details thereof; and (e) the corrective measures taken or proposed to strengthen project monitoring, financial transparency, digital governance, manpower capacity and compliance with CAG recommendations? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH) (a) Yes, the Ministry of Science and Technology has taken note of the observations made by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) inits 29th Report of 2025 for the year ended March 2023 (Compliance Audit) relating to scientific institutions and organisations under its administrative control. The observations are examined by the concerned organisations and appropriate action is taken in accordance with the prescribed financial rules, administrative procedures and the recommendations made during the audit process. Action Taken Notes (ATNs), wherever required, are furnished to the appropriate authorities as per the prescribed procedure. (b) The Ministry and its scientific organisations have established mechanisms for periodic review and monitoring of projects, financial management, fund utilisation and implementation of scientific programmes through internal review systems, statutory audits, internal audits and other oversight mechanisms. Any deficiencies noticed during such reviews or audits are addressed by the concerned organisations in accordance with the applicable rules and procedures. (c) Recruitment against sanctioned posts is a continuous process. Vacancies arise from time to time due to retirement, resignation, promotion, creation of new posts and other administrative reasons. The Ministry and its scientific organisations undertake recruitment regularly in accordance with the extant recruitment rules and Government instructions. In addition, institutions also utilise contractual engagement, project staff and other permissible mechanisms, wherever required, to ensure that scientific research and institutional activities continue without disruption (d) No specific instance has been identified warranting fixation of accountability solely based on the audit observations referred to above. Wherever audit observations point to procedural deficiencies or non-compliance, the concerned organisations examine the observations and take appropriate corrective and preventive action in accordance with the applicable rules and procedures (e) The Ministry and its scientific organisations have taken several measures to strengthen project monitoring, financial management, transparency and institutional governance. These include periodic review and monitoring of projects at various levels, strengthening of internal audit and financial oversight mechanisms, adherence to the General Financial Rules (GFR), Delegation of Financial Powers Rules (DFPR), Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and the Public FinancialManagement System (PFMS), regular capacity-building of scientific, administrative and finance personnel, and timely filling of vacancies in accordance with the extant recruitment rules. In CSIR, digital governance initiatives have also been implemented to enhance efficiency, transparency and accountability. These include the Accounts Manager Software (AMS) for digitisation and strengthening of accounting, financial management and reporting processes, and the CSIR Purchase Software (CPS) to manage and track the complete purchase lifecycle. The platform is designed to centrally manage and monitor all purchase activities across CSIR laboratories and units. With built-in reporting and MIS dashboards, the platform enables data-driven decision-making, real-time status monitoring and audit-ready documentation ensuring effective governance and streamlined procurement operations across CSIR. *********