New Delhi: A parliamentary committee has expressed concern over posts of scientists in the Department of Health Research (DHR) lying vacant for an "unacceptably" long time and the continued exodus of trained and talented Indian professionals to developed countries. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, in its report presented in the Rajya Sabha this week, recommended urgent measures to address the issue, adding that the practice of contractual appointments be stopped to prevent desertions.

To curb the trend of brain drain, India must enhance higher education options, research infrastructure and funding and improve standards of living and stipends of scientists, possibly with the involvement of the private sector, the panel said in its report. Skilled Indian professionals should be encouraged to return from abroad and undertake domestic health research projects, it added.

"A unified and long-term approach is essential for India to retain and recover its most valuable asset, human capital," it said.

The DHR's efforts to fill up the vacancies created in 2017 for specific roles within the department have been in vain, the panel said. "... the DHR has to walk the extra mile to fill up these posts on a regular basis. One of the obvious ways to achieve this is to make the conditions of service and/or remuneration more attractive to ensure that appointed scientists are to stay in DHR instead of deserting," the report said, also suggesting exploring a quicker recruitment process. "...the committee takes strong exception to the posts remaining vacant for so long and, therefore, the committee recommends that urgent measures other than ordinary procedure be taken to fill up the vacant posts," the report said.