Lok Sabha Question No. 4541 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-14
Subject: Handing Over NCES to MoES
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: (ADV.) JOICE GEORGE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4541

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2016

## HANDING OVER OF NCES to MoES

## 4541. ADV. JOICE GEORGE:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the National Centre for Earth Sciences (NCES) Thiruvananthapuram  under  the  State  Government  of  Kerala  was  handed over to the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) in the year 2012 and if so, the purposes thereof;
- (b) whether any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the State of Kerala and his Ministry at the time of the said hand over and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  State  Government  of  Kerala  and  the  Union  Government  are deriving due benefits as a result thereof; and
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  reasons  therefor  along  with  the corrective action taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES

(SHRI Y. S. CHOWDARY)

- (a) Centre  for  Earth  Science  Studies  (CESS)  Thiruvananthapuram  became  an autonomous institution under Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) with effect from  01.01.2014  and  was  renamed  as  National  Centre  for  Earth  Science Studies (NCESS).

The  objective  of  take-over  of  the  CESS  by  MoES  is  to  provide  the  nation with best possible services in the realm of earth system sciences through well integrated research programs to understand the complex interactions among key elements of the Earth System, namely, ocean, atmosphere and solid earth, and to promote basic and applied research in the frontier areas of Earth Sciences with particular emphasis on Solid Earth.

- (b) Yes Madam.

An  MoU  was  signed  between  the  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences,  GoI  and Science and Technology Department, Government of Kerala vide certificate no. IN-DL02604383021117L dated 27.12.2013. Role of MoES and Science & Technology Department, Government of Kerala   is given in Annexure-I.

## (c-d) Yes Madam.

Research and development activities of NCESS covering the whole country is  expected  to  benefit  millions  of  people  across  the  country  and  provide access  to  increased  knowledge  on  earth's  processes,  better  predictive resources management  plans,  increased  access  to  thematic  maps,  etc.  These systems for natural hazards, development of natural activities include the following four major themes;

-  Geodynamics of Indian subcontinents
-  Landscape evolution
-  Water & Environment
-  Coastal Hydrodynamics
-  Natural Hazards

With  the  takeover  of  the  institute  by  MoES,  Govt  of  India,  the  scope  of research programs of NCESS has expanded further without compromising the  State  needs.  NCESS  has  participated  with  Kerala  State  Council  for Science,  Technology  &  Environment  (KSCSTE)  for  preparation  of  Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) of entire Kerala State and also implemented a research program to investigate on the possible impact of  sea level rise along  Kerala  coast  with  the  Department  of  Environment  and  Climate Change  (DECC),  Government  of  Kerala.    NCESS  has  been  spearheading many socially-relevant programs like Panchayat Resources Mapping (PRM), Rainwater Harvesting, Watershed Management, Sand Mining, Environmental Earthquakes, Lightning etc, in  addition  to the  generation  of  basic  knowledge  on  rocks,

Impact Studies, Landslide evaluation, Coastal Erosion, minerals and geological evolution of Kerala State.

Further,  it  continues  to  support  different  periodic  requirements  of  the Kerala Government.

## Role of MoES and Science & Technology Department, Government of Kerala

## (1) ROLE OF MoES, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA:

-  To form a society and get it registered under the Travancore Cochin literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Act, 1955, who shall take over the functions and management of CESS.
-  To take over the administrative control of CESS  with all its present assets, infrastructure and liabilities including that of the manpower employed (by CESS) as on 31.12.2013
-  To decide upon the organizational structure of CESS as an autonomous body under the administrative  control  of  MoES,  independent  form  KSCSTE  and  GoK,  considering  its goals and future growth and to take all decisions pertaining to the mandate, structure and functioning of such autonomous body.
-  To implement the takeover plans.
- 
- To provide grants and funds to CESS from the date of take over.
-  To receive the balance amount from the funding agencies for the projects implemented/consultancy services rendered by CESS prior to take over and to credit the amount to the account of the autonomous body under MoES.

## (2) ROLE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT, GOVERNMENT OF KERALA:

-  To  take  all  steps  for  handling  over  of  the  administrative  control  of  CESS  as  an autonomous body to the administrative control of MoES, independent from KSCSTE and GoK and take over plan as may be mutually decided by the MoES, GoK, KSCSTE.
-  To provide all assistance in transfer of 13.95 acres of Government land which currently houses  the  building  and  campus  of  CESS  and  presently  under  the  possession  of KSCSTE to such autonomous body under MoES. The land will be treated as on 99 years lease from the date of take over with a material lease rent of 1/- per acre per year vide GO(MS) No. 468/2013/RD dated 24.10.2013, with the state Government having the right to revise the lease rent appropriately, in Case the autonomous body to be set up gives up  the  control  over  the  organization  in  favour  of  any  other  organization  under  GOI. Alternatively, the GOI may give an assurance that they will never hand over control of the organization to a third party. If the new society being formed by the GOI is wound up at any time in the future, the assets acquired at the time of taken over shall revert to the Government of Kerala.
-  To  provide  all  assistance  in  procurement  of  additional  land,  adjoining  the  present campus of CESS from the concerned Department of the Government of Kerala, and its allotment to the autonomous body under MoES.
-  To provide all assistance in transfer of the assets including the equipment and produce of CESS to the automous body under MoES.
-  To provide all necessary assistance in getting CESS registered as an autonomous body under MoES.
-  To continue to provide financial assistance to CESS till the date of take over, i.e., it becomes  an  autonomous  body  under  the  administrative  control  of  MoES  and  the liability is assumed by MoES.
-  To continue to provide all necessary administrative support to CESS till its administrative control if fully assumed by MoES.