The Urban Development Ministry has also demanded the arrears that IGNCA owes to it as a result of the latter not paying the rent on these 15 flats for the past five years. The IGNCA had asked for an extension of the lease by another five years in May 1994. Though it was not formally granted, the condition for even considering it was that IGNCA should pay its earlier arrears of Rs 5 lakh.

Though IGNCA did so, the extension did not come through, which is what the Urban Development Ministry, under pressure from the Human Resource Development Ministry, is now trying to correct. The 15 flats were allotted to IGNCA in May 1989, two years after the autonomous institution was set up under the HRD Ministry. Theflats were actually meant to attract scholars from all over India but they have ended up primarily as accommodation for IGNCA staff.

Though the BJP-led Government dragged its feet on reverting the amendment of the deed which made its founder trustees members for life, it finally did so a fortnight ago. IGNCA president Sonia Gandhi was made president for life. According to the original deed, the Member-Secretary was to be appointed by the Government but it was amended so that he was appointed by the trustees themselves.