Research lab procurement rules relaxed by government

• The Finance Ministry has relaxed restrictions on scientific lab equipment procurement, following complaints from scientists about sub-standard equipment.

• The first significant change is allowing affiliated scientific institutions to bypass the Government e-marketplace (GEM), a Commerce Ministry initiative prioritizing made-in-India equipment.

• The GEM portal was a stumbling block for scientists requiring customised equipment conforming to high quality standards.

• The notification also allows Directors of select institutes and Vice-Chancellors or Chancellors of universities to make “non-Government e-market place procurement of scientific equipment and consumables.”

• The circular also allows heads of scientific institutions to approve “global tender enquiry” up to ₹200 crore.

• The ceiling on goods procured by scientific departments without quotations has doubled from ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh.

• These concessions are strictly for scientific equipment and consumables and meant only for organizations affiliated to the Ministry of Science and Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Department of Atomic Energy and Space, Indian Council of Medical Research, Indian Council for Agricultural Research, and educational institutions conducting postgraduate research under various Ministries.