The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), staged a silent protest in support of their demand for seventh pay commission benefits and other issues. The protesting ARS scientists said that they work to serve the nation through ensuring food security and welfare of the farming community in the backdrop of climate change and the dwindling resources - insufficient manpower and research funding.
They deserve to get free working ambiance without any administrative and bureaucratic hurdles, timely payment of salary and uniform working schedule in tune with the parallel national scientific organisations. According to the protesting scientists, a series of events that occurred in the recent times have affected their research ambiance, dignity and self respect which has lowered the morale of the scientists. Most of the Central Government workforce of the nation including all scientific organisations has been drawing their revised salary emoluments as per the Seventh Pay Commission for more than a year.
Though the recommendations of UGC pay review committee were accepted by the government in the past, ICAR scientists have yet to realise the benefit of the same. Their long standing demand of five working days per week though enjoys majority support of ICAR scientists but has been turned down which reflects insensitivity towards genuine needs of scientific community.
The Agricultural Research Service Scientists Forum (ARSSF) which represents the larger scientific community of ICAR strongly condemns the apathy and insensitiveness towards the genuine needs of the scientific community and opines that their sincerity and loyalty is being taken for granted.
Hence, the ARSSF had given a call to observe a silent protest by all the scientists of ICAR across the country on Thursday to elicit focus on their demands of implementation of revised pay and five-day week in ICAR institutes.