Centre for functional autonomy to national institutions: PM

Kolkata, Jan 16 (PTI) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh Saturday said the Centre was considering granting
functional autonomy and flexibility for effective running of
national-level institutions and favoured liberalised rules for
recruiting executive heads of such bodies.
"National institutions like Archaeological Survey of
India need functional autonomy and flexibility to run
effectively. We are looking into this aspect. Funds will never
be a constraint when it comes to the question of preserving
our cultural heritage," he said.
Singh was speaking at a ceremony on the occasion of
tele-inauguration of the new campus of the Maulana Abul Kalam
Azad Institute for Asian Studies and laying of foundation
stone of the second phase of the Science City here.
The topmost priority of the Culture Ministry was to
ensure professionalism in the management of the country's vast
cultural resources and institutions, he said.
Singh said, "Bureaucratisation tends to negate cultural
expression and preservation and as a decisive first step we
have liberalised rules for recruiting executive heads of eight
national-level institutions. We are going to appoint
outstanding professionals to head ASI and other institutions
very soon.
"It is time for winds of change to blow through our
institutions, museums, libraries and academies." MORE PTI