12 Top Institutions Without Heads

New Delhi, May 14 (UNI) As many as twelve autonomous or semi- autonomous institutions under the Human Resource Development Ministry ''are lying without any head,'' Parliament was told today.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for HRD D Purandareswari said the matter ''is subjudice'' in respect of appointment of chairman of Delhi-based National Council for Teacher Education.

The appointments of headships for nine key institutions, including Shimla-based Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, were ''under process,'' she said.

The Minister, asked by Communist Party of India (Marxist) Member Sitaram Yechury to give details, did not specify the period for which the posts have been vacant.

The other seven institutions include National Council for Rural Institute, Hyderabad, National Institute of Technology, Raipur, Agartala, Jamshedpur, National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research, Bhopal and Chandigarh, and Central Institute of Technology, Kokrajhar.

She said candidates have ''been selected'' for National Council for Promotion of Sindhi Language, New Delhi and Maharishi Sandipani Rashtriya Veda Vidyas Pratisthan, Ujjain and are ''likely to join soon.'' The vacancy of director for Delhi-based Central Tibetan Schools Administration arose due to the death of the incumbent and its charge has been given to Secretary central Board of Secondary Education till a regular appointment or ''further orders.'' UNI MJ LS DB2324