'No Salary for No-Show at Yoga Day Event,' Says Wildlife Institute of India, Then Withdraws Circular
The Wire Staff
New Delhi: The Wildlife Institute of India, a wildlife research organisation directly under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said in a circular to its staff on June 23 that their salaries for the month would be withheld unless they provide a satisfactory explanation for why they missed the World Yoga Day event held in the institute on June 21.
The said emails, accessed by The Wire, claimed that the overall participation for the yoga session held at the Institute to commemorate World Yoga Day on June 21 was “poor”, despite “repeated notices” issued by the Institute and communications received from the union environment ministry. The registrar of the Institute, J.A. Johnson, said in the email that this “poor attendance” was “observed with concern”.
“Please note that while WII ensures the timely disbursement of monthly salaries/emoluments to over 600 employees (including researchers), about 75 individuals participated in this Important National event,” the Registrar’s email read.
The email went on to demand that every staff member of the Institute who did not participate in the World Yoga Day event “without prior intimation” submit a written explanation for the reason for their absence to their respective reporting officers, sectional heads or the Deputy Registrar.
“The Finance Officer is requested to withhold the release of June 2025 month salary until the attendance record, tour details, or valid written explanation is received and verified,” the email said.
The Registrar’s email claimed that this notice is being issued “with the approval of the Competent Authority”.
The Competent Authority of the WII is the union environment ministry, as the Institute comes directly under the aegis of the ministry. The Wire has written to the Union environment ministry for a response. This report will be updated when they respond.
However, later on the same day, the Registrar sent another email saying that the explanation called for the absence of staff for the yoga day event was withdrawn.
The Director of WII Virendra Tiwari later told PTI that no action is proposed to be taken against staff who missed the World Yoga Day event.
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