News

Type of Intervention: Advisory
Sectors Involved: Local Government
Intervention Categories: Social and physical distancing measures; Special populations
Level of Jurisdiction: National
Lead People/Agency: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Personnel and Training

Overview: Commuted leave without production of medical certificate may be sanctioned to those officials who are above 50 years of age and have underlying conditions like Diabetes, Respiratory problems, Renal diseases and other life threatening illness, for a period upto 4th April, 2020, so as to avoid any unnecessary burden on the health care system. This memorandum has been issued with the objective to officials who wish to self-quarantine, as a preventive measure. This order is applicable to Ministries/Central govt./Departments.
Full details here: https://dopt.gov.in/sites/default/files/Relaxation%20in%20Leave%20Rules.pdf

Type of Justification: Advice of INTERNAL government advisory committee ...

A Pre-conference symposium – August 27th

We are pleased to announce the addition of a pre-conference symposium to our programme of events. Co-chaired by Dr. Vaughan Turekian, Editor-in-Chief of the AAAS Journal Science and Diplomacy, and the CE of New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, this symposium will explore ‘the place of science in foreign ministries’.

Overview of the symposium

The past decade has seen unprecedented interested in the interface between science and diplomacy from a number of perspectives including:

• – Diplomacy for Science – building international relationships to foster robust collaborative scientific networks and shared expertise and infrastructure;
• – Science for Diplomacy – the science enterprise as a doorway to relationship building between nations with shared goals and values;
• – Science in Diplomacy – the role of science in various diplomatic endeavours ...

Building Capacity for Effective Science Advice: Current Needs and Opportunities

The Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, New Zealand, and the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) of University College London are pleased to announce two additional events that may interest registrants to the Science Advice to Governments Conference:

1) Breakfast Panel: 08:00-09:30 on Saturday, 30 August 2015
Location: Heritage Hotel, Auckland

2) Roundtable: 09:00-17:00 on Monday, 1 September 2015
Location: Liggins Institute conference room, 85 Park Road, Grafton Campus (University of Auckland)

AIM OF EVENTS
Developing effective science advisory systems requires building the capacity of individuals and institutions to fulfil a diverse range of advisory requirements. The aim of the panel and roundtable events is to scope the capacity-building needs across a range ...

“Five years on  I have come to understand that the primary functions and greatest challenge for a science adviser are providing advice not on straightforward scientific matters, but instead on issues that have the hallmarks of what has been called post-normal science.

These issues are urgent and of high public and political concern; the people involved hold strong positions based on their values, and the science is complex, incomplete and uncertain.”

Read more here: http://bit.ly/1pDSF8Y

Peter Gluckman, New Zealand’s chief science adviser, offers his ten principles for building trust, influence, engagement and independence:

1. Maintain the trust of many.
2. Protect the independence of advice
3. Report to the top
4. Distinguish science for policy from policy for science.
5. Expect to inform policy, not make it.
6. Give science privilege as an input into policy.
7. Recognize the limits of science.
8. Act as a broker not an advocate.
9. Engage the scientific community.
10. Engage the policy community.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/1lInIwT