Anand ICAR scientists join nationwide protest

Vadodara/Anand: Demanding implementation of a revised pay scale and enforcement of five-day work week, the local unit of Agricultural Research Service Scientists Forum (ARSSF) joined the nationwide protest on Thursday at Anand.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under the aegis of ARSSF had given a call for a one-day silent protest on Thursday over their long pending demands before the government. Around 40 scientists from ICAR-DGR in Junagadh, ICAR-DMAPR in Boriavi at Anand and ICAR-IISWC in Vasad joined the protest by sporting black ribbon.

Claiming to be working under the backdrop of climate change and dwindling resources like manpower and funding, the local unit of ARSSF in a press release said that most of the central government workforce including scientific organization has been drawing salary as per the seventh commission for more than a year. However, in spite of the recommendations of University Grants Commission (UGC) being accepted by the central government over salary review, ICAR scientists have not been getting the benefits.

Besides the demand of revised salary, their demand of a five-day working week has also been turned down during general body meeting. “The rejection of demand reflects highest level of insensitivity towards genuine needs of scientific community,” the release stated.