Category Archives: Drdo

Supreme Court issues notice to Centre, DRDO

The Hindu – August 17, 2014 02:42 IST

Are defence organisations exempted under RTI?

The Supreme Court has decided to examine whether defence organisations such as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) can withhold information regarding transfer of an employee, claiming that they are exempted organisations under the Right to Information Act.

A Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and V. Gopala Gowda issued a notice to the Centre and the DRDO on a petition filed by Dr. Neelam Bhalla, a scientist, who was transferred to a different unit and has sought the reasons for her transfer under the RTI Act. Having failed to get relief before the Central Information Commission and the Delhi High Court, she has moved the apex court.

The petitioner contended that only those information which directly affected and correlated to “intelligence and security” could be exempted and would not apply to information which were general in nature.

She said this petition raised an important question of law as to the interpretation of section 24 of the Right to Information Act, vis–a-vis the exclusion of exempted organisations such as the DRDO. She said citizens were deprived of records relating to their services not being related to corruption and human rights violation.

She said the “wilful disclosure of incorrect or false or misleading information relating to routine matters such as transfer not only to the petitioner but also to higher authorities, namely the Minister of Defence and the National Commission for Women, to justify their actions, was an offence under the newly enacted Whistle Blowers Protection Act.”

She said she was a victim of gender discrimination and humiliation at the hands of senior scientists and in this context, filed a complaint before the NCW inter-alia alleging nepotism and lapses in the policy of recruitment and in particular that her task for the recruitment of scientists ‘B’ was selectively taken away. She prayed for a direction to the authorities to disclose the reasons for her transfer.

 

Neelam  Bhalla RTI Case
Neelam Bhalla RTI Case

DRDO Awards Function 2014 – A Curtain Raiser

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Defence
19-August-2014 19:39 IST

DRDO AWARDS for the year 2013 for outstanding contribution in various areas of technology will be given away by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in the august presence of Hon’ble Defence Minister Shri Arun Jaitley and a galaxy of dignitaries on 20th August 2014 in a brief ceremony to be held at Kothari Auditorium, DRDO Bhawan.

The DRDO awards in 10 categories are being given to honour individual Scientists/Teams of DRDO, partners of DRDO from other sectors for their outstanding contributions in furthering DRDO’s efforts in achieving self-reliance.

DRDO Life Time Achievement Award 2013 is being conferred on Dr. Dipankar Banerjee formerly Director, DMRL and Chief Controller R&D of DRDO for his distinguished contributions to the field of Metallurgy, Materials science & Combat Aircraft Program.

Technology Leadership Award: In recognition of outstanding contributions and leadership qualities, the Technology Leadership Award for the year 2013 is being awarded to Shri S Anantha Narayanan, Distinguished Scientist & Director Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi towards development of underwater surveillance systems, new technologies in underwater transducers, onboard processors and deployment mechanisms and fostering industrial partnerships leading to proliferation of a large number of systems in the Indian Navy.

ACADEMY EXCELLENCE AWARDS are given to members from academia associated with DRDO for research in emerging areas. The two Academy Excellence Awards for the year 2013 are being conferred on Emeritus Prof. S Mohan, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru for his noteworthy contributions to several projects of DRDO. His innovative ideas and advice have helped DEBEL to successfully carry out technology demonstration of the concept of TDLAS Oxygen Sensor for Air Borne application, Ammonia Sensor, Micro needle Array for EEG and MEMS based pressure Sensor and Prof. V Kamakoti, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai for his outstanding contributions to the area of Computer Architecture, Reconfigurable System Design and Indigenous VLSI/EDA software, Secure Operating Systems, Indigenous IPs and to improve the performance of ANURAG developed ANUPAMA/ABACUS processors using higher level design abstraction.

Silicon Trophy for the Best Systems Laboratory of DRDO is being awarded to Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad for outstanding contributions towards development of tactical and underwater launched guided weapon systems.

TITANIUM TROPHY for the Best Science Laboratory of DRDO is being awarded to Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences (DIPAS), Delhi for outstanding contributions in improving performance and health of the soldiers deployed at high altitude and other operational environments.

DRDO awards for PATH BREAKING RESEARCH AND OUTSTANDING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT for the year 2013 are being conferred upon:

  • Dr. SC Sati,Director, Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra and his team for their outstanding contributions towards design, development, realisation and testing of P-16 Heavy Drop System comprising multi stage parachutes and platform.
  • Dr. S Guruprasad, Scientist ‘H’, and Director, Research & Development Establishment (Engineers) (R&DE (E)), Pune and his team for their outstanding contributions towards development of a cost effective manufacturing technology for composites, Resin Film Infusion and materials for the same, leading to realisation of large size, light weight and multifunctional structural components for military applications.
  • Shri RS Chandrasekhar, Scientist ‘F’, Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad and his team have made outstanding contributions in developing innovative and robust Alignment

methodologies for Inertial Navigation Systems for Air-to-Air tactical weapon and Ship- launched Strategic weapon.

DRDO AWARD FOR PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE are being conferred on Shri PS Subramanyam, Distinguished Scientist & Director, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) Bengaluru and his team along with Dr. K Tamilmani, former Chief Executive, CEMILAC and his team towards accomplishing an unprecedented milestone in Defence Aviation through indigenous design, development and certification of a state-of-the-art fighter aircraft, Tejas for induction into services. Tejas has been granted Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) in Dec 2013. This rare feat of the team has catapulted India into the elite club of nations which possess the technological capabilities and infrastructure to build and roll out their own fighter aircraft with state-of-the-arttechnologies.

SPECIAL AWARD FOR STRATEGIC CONTRIBUTION 2013 is being conferred on:

  • Smt. U Jeya Santhi, Scientist ‘F’ and her team for significant contributions towards successful design, development, erection and commissioning of Strategic Command and Control infrastructure comprising a secured, multi-layered, Strategic Communication Network and specialised Blast and EMP hardened structures.
  • Shri K Ravi Sankar, Scientist ‘F’, Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), Bengaluru and his team for outstanding contributions to the development of Security Solutions for Strategic Communication Networks (SCN) for securing sensitive data transmitted over PSTN links, high-speed point-to-point links which incorporate indigenous high grade encryption algorithms, automated and fast robust synchronization, user friendly end-to-end key management, innovative capture resiliency techniques with robust authentication mechanisms.
  • Shri Rajeev Thaman, Scientist ‘F’, Scientific Analysis Group (SAG), Delhi and his team have made significant contributions in developing various indigenous information security SW Solutions for Cyber Defence, which have been deployed at various Defence

Establishments, Strategic Programmes and other Intelligence Agencies providing high level of security assurance.

Defence Technology Absorption Award is given to DRDO’s industrial partners for their support in transformation of technologies developed by DRDO into products/systems/processes for Armed forces. The award is being given to:-

  • M/s Accord Software & Systems Ltd., Bengaluru, has immensely contributed towards indigenous design, development and production of advanced high dynamics GPS+GLONASS+GAGAN receivers with state-of-the-art technologies and features in multiple configurations to the specific requirements/ specifications of Indian Defence programmes in close coordination with DRDO laboratories.
  • M/s Aerospace Engineers, Salem, Tamil Nadu, has displayed profound technical expertise in absorbing various technologies and has delivered high-precision and quality elastomeric products manufactured out of these technologies for use on various airborne systems developed by DRDO that include LCA, Lakshya, Nishant, Missiles, Life Saving Systems, aircrafts and helicopters.
  • M/s Krishna Industries, Mumbai has displayed pioneering efforts towards indigenous production of “Bulb Bars” of various sections of DMR-249A grade steel, on industrial scale, in association with DRDO for construction of warships by devising ingenious roll design, rolling parameters and novel heat treatment technique. Their sustained efforts have culminated in producing high quality bulb bars for the first time in the country, thereby meeting the requirements of the Indian Navy in a timely and cost effective manner.

DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY SPIN-OFF AWARD 2013 is being awarded to Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Mysore for significant extension work in the rural sector for the benefit of tomato farmers & women entrepreneurs by means of commercialization of tomato-based value- added products.

K R RAVINDRANATHAN,SC F RCMA Hyderabad Clarification on TA/DA Bill

Following Mails I have received from Sh KR RAVINDRANATHAN, Sc F, RCMA. Dear friends I am against the corrupt practices in DRDO not against any individual, the matter has to decide by competent authorities.

regards
prabhu dandriyal

 

Ravindranathan K.R. <ravikr99@yahoo.com>
reply-to: “Ravindranathan K.R.” <ravikr99@yahoo.com>
to: “prabhudoon@gmail.com” <prabhudoon@gmail.com>
date: Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 11:43 AM
subject: prabhudoon@gmail.com

Respected Sir
This is with reference to the news item regarding my TD claim to SAMEER Chennai
IT is clarified that it was a typographhical error while totaling I forgot to half the value
and there is no intention to make the false claims etc as alleged in your website, I my self very much upset y the oversight and rectified the claims immedialy for inadvertent error I have also halved the train fare claimed in question but forgot to do so before submitting due to urgent works.
SO Please understand this situation and the oversight happened inadvertently. I have never ever made such mistake till date.
SO please remove that allegations as the matter has been clarified to the authorities concerned sir.
Once again I request you to understand my pain and anguish due to bad publicity.
Requesting you to do the needful.
KR RAVINDRANATHAN

Kelakote Ravindranathan <ravikr99@gmail.com>
to: prabhudoon@gmail.com
date: Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 12:24 PM
subject: REGARDING TA/DA CLAIM

DEAR SIR
AS EXPLAINED NO SUCH CLAIM HAS BEEN PREFERRED IT WAS AN INADVERTENT ERROR OCCUR DUE TO OVERSIGHT AND FAILING TO HALF THE AMOUNT LIKE I DID IN THE TRAIN FARE SO KINDLY UNDERSTAND MY SITUATION
BILL HAS NOT BEEN CLAIMED IT HAS BEEN ALREADY RECTIFIED AND SUBMITTED
SO NO FALSE CLAIMS AS PROJECTED REQUEST TO CORRECT THE POSITION IMMEDIATELY SIR \
RAVINDRANATHAN KR

Kelakote Ravindranathan <ravikr99@gmail.com>
to: Prabhu Dandriyal <prabhudoon@gmail.com>
date: Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 1:29 PM
subject: TA DA Claims

This is with respect to the half and twisted information sent to you regarding a TA DA claims of Myself as already expalined there has been a genuine clerical mistake and this has been immediately rectified by me please see the attached file
So once again I request you not to blow the issue out of proportion and cause undue harm to my reputation and career it would be very very unfair sir.
Matter has been accepted and cloased by department long back and bills have been resubmitted after correction.
RAVINDRANATHAN KR

From Confidential
K R RAVINDRANATHAN
SC F RCMA Hyderabad

To
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
RCMA Hyderabad
Hyderabad
25/7/2014
Sub : TA /DA Adjustment Bill—Clarification regarding

Respected Sir,
Reference is made your letter no RCMA(Hyd)/602/ADMIN dated 15/07/2014.
With reference to the TA/DA Adjustment it is admitted that a clerical mistake has occurred in not reducing the Air FARE value by half (as applicable) due to fact I had forgotten to half the value while taking the print although I had kept in mind to do so. There is no intend whatsoever for excess claim as i had cut the train fares also. The passenger (spouse) could not travel due to sudden development of chicken pox of my son and had to stay back and as I did not have time to re-issue the ticket used the same old ticket. While claiming i wanted to remove one name and cut the AMOUNT by half i.e. Rs. 3850 but forgot to do the second action inadvertently due to technical activities and other family tensions at that point in time resulting in the error.
Kindly excuse for my genuine memory lapse and permit me to re-submit the revised/rectified bill as the bill has not yet cleared for settlement.
Error in the bills happened inadvertently and inconveniences if any, is regretted.
Thanking you,
Sd \{ K R RAVINDRANATHAN SC F }

Invite white paper on DRDO’s current scenario

To                                                                                                             14th August 2014
Sh. Narendra Modi,
Prime Minister,
Room No – 152, PMO,
South Block, NEW DELHI -110011

Subject: Invite white paper on DRDO’s current scenario.

Honorable Sir,

I have to submit following points for rejuvenate DRDO and give moral boost to real honest scientific work force for fruitful and meaningful system/ arms development for end application in three services.

  1. DRDO since its inception was committed to assist the active services and the defence production agency in modernization of front line technologies.
  2. Until 1980 the organization followed its road map which was evolved by Dr Kothari the then front line technologies to PM. Since then we fought three successive war with our neighbors and requirements of three services increased   many fold as they had to secure our borders from external threats,
  3. The demand on DRDO increased therefore, 52 defence R&D labs scattered across the India were established in phased manner. Primary importance was given to the development of long/short range missiles, tank equaling to world class technology, light combat aircraft, nuclear powered submarine, kilo class of warships.
  4. With foregoing objectives government of India in 1980 when Smt Indira Gandhi returned to power declared DRDO an integral part of defence working under secretary, DR&D, DG, DRDO and Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri. (the three combined post to be hold by single person)
  5. Simultaneously the annual budget of DRDO from Rs 64 crores was raised to 1100 crores in particular for establishing modern infrastructures and accelerates indigenous technology development of arms and ammunitions.
  6.  The enhanced fund and absolute power to SA to RM without accountability derailed the road map laid by Dr. Kothari the then adviser to PM. Prior to this the post of SA to RM was honorary post
  7.  Grabbing land in the name of defence and construction of buildings disproportionate to manpower was the prime work of DRDO top bosses after mid 1980’s. Since the omission commission is hefty every DRDO top officials focused upon the infrastructure development without justified the requirements or create fake requirement in the name of ongoing projects and this being continue till date. Annual maintainace and repairs of these unused infrastructures gulps the major chunk of DRDO annual budget.
  8. Presently in DRDO 99% officials are engaged with procurement cases and look for its completion on 31st march every year, however, they have forgotten the development of frontline technologies and some of the projects/ programs under taken in early 70’s which were suppose to completed by not later than 5 years from the date of sanction is still incomplete after 40 years the notable example are Arjun tank, GTX engine, Tejas, Nag, Akash, Trishul missiles etc.
  9. Due to weak government at the center nobody question the authenticity of prolong time taken for development of arms/ ammunitions etc.
  10. While successive SA to RM were able to justify the failures  and where the centre rewarded those with Padama Awards, such erroneous decisions encouraged the incompetency in DRDO and at one time before the Kargil War SA to RM authenticated the conceptual proving of the arms than the development of prototype. The justification was that “ we are 100 crores people nobody can attack on us
  11. Immediately India witnessed the Kargil conflict in 1999 where the General Malik said “casualties in the conflict could have been reduced had the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) not come in the way
  12. With this poor show of DRDO during Kagil war the then PM expressed unhappiness with then SA to RM and said “ अपना घर संभालिये सब कुछ ठीक नहीं चल रहा है
  13. Today the condition is that the DRDO procurement policy 2006 duly approved by finance ministry is violated by top DRDO officials (SA to RM, Directors, Program Directors etc.) by splitting the orders to make them within their sanction power. Compromising the quality, favors to vendor by customizing specifications, managed foreign visits with help of suppliers all this result at the end short closing of the project without deliverable output.
  14. Now annually DRDO consuming not less than Rs 10000 crores but ultimate looser is country with poor tax payers. “DRDO has become social commitment” Former PM Sh VP Singh said in 2nd DRDO Director’s conference at Bangalore.

Honorable Sir,

A white paper may please be sought from DRDO and it should be made public so that 49% FDI in defence sector could be justified.

Following points to be justified

  1. Total asset of DRDO
  2. Annual Budget
  3. Lab wise manpower vis -a -vis Project/Programs (it will give the clear picture of delays in output)
  4. Products developed and its production and deployments in services for each lab (it will prove the worthiness of Lab)
  5.  Awards – vis a vis output of awardees
  6. Incentives given on product development ( this will expose the real talent)
  7. Patents – Granted/ applied
  8. Man power planned and its proportionate buildup accommodation lab wise
  9. Total cost of abandon equipments lab wise
  10. Statistical failure data analyzing and corrective measure for deployed project like LCA/Arjun Tank/Arihant/various Missiles.

Sir, this is a honest approach to clean DRDO from corruption as you said in Kargil  “Corruption is the worst plague that has ruined the country. Once it is rooted out, we will sail on the path of development smoothly,”

 
Regards
  
Prabhu Dandriyal
21-Sunderwala, Raipur
Dehradun-248008
Phone 0135- 2787750, Mobile- 9411114879,
e-mail id prabhudoon@gmail.com, website 
www.corruptionindrdo.com

India, US agree on arms deal, but technology transfer remains key

Rajat Pandit, TNN | Aug 9, 2014, 05.34AM IST

NEW DELHI: India and the US on Friday agreed to go in for co-development and co-production of advanced weapon systems, with Washington pushing New Delhi for early decisions on offers ranging from the next-generation Javelin anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).Modi-Chuk

But India will not jump headlong into any venture without first ensuring the US sticks to its promise to provide “ground-breaking technology” on par with its closest allies, even though the Modi government is keen to strengthen the moribund domestic defence production sector.

The decision to revive the floundering Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI) between the two countries, as also work towards the extension of the 10-year India-US defence framework, was taken after visiting US defence secretary Chuck Hagel held delegation-level talks with his Indian counterpart Arun Jaitley.
But India is still not fully convinced about the US as a reliable long-term, high-end defence supplier, given its propensity to impose sanctions and stringent export control laws. The US, however, believes it can effectively marry trade and technology, with benefits for both.

Stressing that “security, stability, freedom of sea lanes, economic development and energy” is in the interest of the two countries as well as the Asia-Pacific region, Hagel said the US wants to be a partner in India’s military modernization and recognises its needs to strengthen its defence-industrial base.
The US will be led by its under secretary of defence acquisition, technology and logistics Frank Kendall in the DTTI. The Indian points-man, in turn, will be the defence production secretary, which is a comedown from before since former national security advisor Shivshankar Menon earlier led the initiative. Jaitley, incidentally, accepted Hagel’s invite to visit Pentagon when he goes to Washington to attend the annual meetings of IMF and World Bank.

Of all the joint development and production offers, the US is especially keen to push the case for fourth-generation Javelin ATGMs, which even President Barack Obama has personally pushed with Modi. The Indian ATGM project, after all, is going to be worth over $2.5 billion. Javelin is in contention with the Israeli “Spike” tank-killing missiles to bag the project, as was earlier reported by TOI.

With the 1.13-million Indian Army grappling with a huge shortfall of 44,000 ATGMs of different types, the project involves an initial direct acquisition of the man-portable “tank killers”, with a strike range of 2.5km, followed by technology transfer to defence PSU Bharat Dynamics for large-scale indigenous manufacture. The Army is keen to equip all its 382 infantry battalions with third and fourth-generation ATGMs.

Comments

Vladimir Sikorski (Ulyanovsk. Russia) 3 hrs ago
In the 50’s and 60’s the Russians supplied us with their MIG’s, T-72 tanks and other weapons. The technology was transferred at that time. What happened after that. Were you guys able to develop further from that platform and make your own planes. No. The French transferred their Mirage aircraft technology in the 70’s and 80’s. Did you develop your own from that platform. No. It took 30 years to develop a 3rd generation aircraft called the Tejas. The Arjun tank was forced on the Army. So why do you Indians keep harping about technology transfer. Even after we give you all the books and manuals and the design features for a product, your paan chewing babu’s of the DRDO and the Defence Ministry are unable to develop anything over and above that. It is way better and cheaper to employ German and Japanese engineers and scientists, pay them well in India and they will develop your arms industry for you. You don’t have much time. World War III is round the corner.

Himanshu Agarwal (Location) replies to Vladimir Sikorski 54 mins ago Bronze : 189189 PointsWordsmith 1News King 1Frequent Flyer 2
Yeah probably India should focus of Developing worlds class universities and then investing similar amount to restructure and new-hiring in DRDO.

Jagdish Sinha (Patna. Bihar) 1 day ago
The USA now is willing to give all the technology India wants as it knows that the idiots in DRDO cannot duplicate or build on anything. The technology for the MIG and the T-90 tanks was transferred by Russia long time ago but we are still unable to build on it and innovate based on the earlier model. It took 30 years to build the Tejas. What a joke it turned out to be. The tech for the French planes was also provided, but just to upgrade the planes they spent billions and had to send them to France. Poor show India.

Swami Vas (Hong Kong) 103 Followers1 day ago Gold : 19.5K19495 PointsInfluencer 7Wordsmith 7Networker 2
PULSE OF INDIA: The fact that India is unconvinced of the reliability of US as a trustworthy defence supplier is absolutely understandable and perfect, considering the past experiences where the US had utterly failed to keep its promises on some important deals. So, it is only right for India to insist that all major deals should be fair and wherever appropriate include transfer of technology which was rightly pinpointed by the Prime Minister. The US belief that it can “effectively marry trade and technology” benefitting both is simply yet another striking example of marriage of convenience! The defence needs of India are indeed varied and important, some even urgent, but the Indian requirements are also huge and long-standing. Thus, it is important for India to ensure continuity in the supply chain which can only be achieved by establishing manufacturing facilities within the country. The keenness of US to strike deals with India on the latest weapons is also equally understandable, especially considering the money-value of the deal as well as its own role as a leading defence equipment exporter but the US should know that from now on all deals with India will have to be on a win-win situation basis! However important or urgent the defence needs are to modernize its armed forces, India should indeed not hurry or plunge into any deals without knowing the depth! India is the largest democracy in the world followed by the US but whether they have been truly friendly or why the US has failed to extend a hand of friendship befitting that status are debatable issues. But one thing is for certain which the world should know that the 21st Century India presently under Modi leadership is going to be a power to be reckoned with! (cc: BJPCALL-LC / PMO /MOD)

Krishna Jha:22 hours ago US Is the leader in front line technology. Before signing any agreement we must ask for TOT. Why to reinvent the wheel. As our limitations to re engineer MIG has been unsuccessful but translating blue more..