Disengaging WII and IIFM

A brief note on the issue

• In a proposal to the Cabinet Secretary, the Finance Ministry has recommended that the Ministry of Environment Forests (MoEF) and Climate Change “disengage” from five autonomous institutions working under it and merge two others
• With this reducing the 16 autonomous organisations under the ministry to nine.
• The recommendation is a part of an exercise carried out by the Finance Ministry for rationalisation of autonomous institutions that function under different ministries
• Merging: It recommended that the Society of Integrated Coastal Management be merged with the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, as both “perform similar roles of promoting coastal management…to avoid duplication of activities and attain economies of scale’’.
• The Ministry also recommended merging of Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, which receives Rs 14 crore annually from MoEF, to merge with the ministry.
• Following institutions continue to function under and with the financial support of MoEF:
  • the Indian Council for Forest and Research Education
  • GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment
  • Sustainable Development and statutory bodies such as Central Pollution Control Board, Central Zoo Authority (CZA), National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), National Biodiversity Authority.
  • The Finance Ministry recommended that both IIFM and W be converted to deemed universities
  • Reason for disengagement: IIFM receives money from fees, besides ministry grants, as is the case with WII, the Finance Ministry has recommended that MoEF disengage from these two organisations within three years  

• The committee has recommended that MoEF disengage from following autonomous bodies: 
  • Indian Institute of Forest Management(IIFM) 
  • Wildlife Institute of India (WII) 
  • Indian Council of Forest Research and Education
  • Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute
  • CPR Environmental Education Centre, and the Centre of Environment Education.