NEW DELHI, December 5, 2012 – THE HINDU
Scientists install a DRDO-developed bio-toilet in the icy vastness of Siachen. File photo: DRDO
Nearly 700 scientists have resigned from India’s premier military research body DRDO in little less than six years from 2007, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on resignation of scientists from Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO), Mr. Antony said a total of 637 scientists resigned during 2007-2011 and 50 scientists up to October 31 this year.
Scientists who had resigned have either cited personal or domestic reasons for leaving DRDO, Mr. Antony said.
However, it is assumed that increased opportunities or incentives available in other organisations and industries are the main reason of such resignation, he added.
On incentives taken as corrective measures to restrict resignation of scientists from DRDO, Mr. Antony said excellent infrastructure facilities have been created at work places and residential complexes and two additional increments have been given on promotion to each grade.
To another question, Mr. Antony said DRDO is a subordinate organisation under Defence Ministry and does not enjoy any special powers or autonomy because of its strategic nature of work.
Asked whether DRDO enjoys a huge amount of autonomy because of its strategic nature of work, he said, “DRDO is a subordinate organisation under the Department of Defence( R&D) in Defence Ministry and is governed by central government rules and regulations.
“Therefore, DRDO as an organisation does not enjoy any special powers or autonomy because of its strategic nature of work.”
Revised delegation of financial powers of Director General of DRDO was carried out in 2010 to address a long standing requirement and was done after due process and deliberation, he said.
“The process of exercise of these powers has been further rationalised and a corrigendum has been issued by Department of Defence (R&D) on November 21, 2012 as a partial modification to the earlier financial powers,” the minister added.
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Question and Answer in RAJYA SABHA
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
RAJYA SABHA
QUESTION NO 1295
ANSWERED ON 05.12.2012
Resignation of scientists from DRDO
1295 SHRI DILIPBHAI PANDYA
Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to satate :-
(a) whether it is a fact that about 650 scientists have resigned from their posts in Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) during the last five years;
(b) if so, the year-wise and post-wise details thereof;
(c) whether low emoluments in DRDO are the reasons for their resignation; and
(d) if so, what corrective steps are taken / proposed to be taken by Government to persuade the scientists not to resign?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF DEFENCE
(SHRI A.K. ANTONY)
(a) A total of 637 scientists have resigned during 2007-2011 and 50 scientists upto 31st October 2012.
(b) Year-wise and post-wise details are given below:-
Post Year
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
(as on 31st October 2012)
Scientist ‘B’ 166 78 41 38 58 35
Scientist ‘C’ 86 58 18 18 21 12
Scientist ‘D’ 13 8 2 2 5 3
Scientist ‘E’ 2 5 1 3 1 –
Scientist ‘F’ 6 1 3 2 1 –
Total 273 150 65 63 86 50
No Scientist ‘G’, Scientists ‘H’ and Distinguished Scientist have resigned during 2007-2012.
(c) Scientists who had resigned have indicated their personal / domestic grounds as the reasons for leaving DRDO. However, it is assumed that increased opportunities / incentives available in other organizations / industries is the main reason of such resignation.
(d) The following incentives have been granted as corrective measures to restrict resignation of scientists from DRDO:-
• Two additional increments on promotion to each Grade.
• Up to six variable increments on promotion granted on fast track.
• Professional update allowance to all scientists.
• Fast track promotions through assessments.
•Opportunity to acquire higher qualifications at reputed institutes viz. IIT’s / IISc, etc. as DRDO sponsored candidate.
•Young Scientists, Scientist of the Year and other DRDO Awards in recognition to their contributions, etc.
• Excellent infrastructure facilities have been created at work places and residential complexes.
Government is making all efforts to grant Performance Related Incentive Scheme (PRIS) to DRDO scientists at par with scientists of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The organisation and group based incentives implemented in AEC and ISRO from Oct2008 are not implemented in DRDO. This is due to fight between Defence Ministery and DRDO Officials. PMO is intersested for AEC and ISRO who directly come under PMO. Though DRDO is succeessfully develing and tseting many products and missiles (every year more than 30 tests of Missiles) but they are always questioned of not doing anything while ISRO hardly launched 1 or 2 products each year. This difference happens only in India due to wrong implementation 6 pay report. Jai Hind
WHEN YOUNG SCIENTISTS OF DRDO LEAVING THE ORGANIZATION DUE TO APATHY OF SENIOR ADMINISTRATION …….. EVEN AFTER REPORT OF UNPRECEDENTED SERVICE EXTENSION OF VARIOUS UNDESERVING SENIOR SCIENTISTS WHICH CAME IN “INDIA TODAY”, UNDETERRED THE DRDO AGAIN GAVE SERVICE EXTENSION TO MANY OF THOSE….
I don’t think there is a problem with the DRDO officials and system, it is same everywhere excluding the Manufacturing industry (where you can calculate the productivity). The younger generation joins DRDO just to timepass and do something else (to study for MBA / IAS / ITS etc) and not for the work, they are clear about the priorities. I agree , the work environment also makes a difference but the attitude of the person is much more important. It is required that during recruitment process, DRDO should be more worried on the attitude of the person and not only on the intelligence (as who ever comes for interview for Sc’B’ thru SAT has cleared the basic exam). One must also analyze the trend, more no of Sc-B’ and ‘C’ have left, what is the % of people who left are from campus recruitment & thru SAT.
DRDO should work on different strategy in recruitment like they can ask to sign a bond of 5 years or so. Earlier BHEL started a scheme of calling the ex serviceman of BHEL who worked more than 5 years, DRDO can go for this type of scheme.
DRDO is today junk. It is full of exploitation, regionalism, castism, favoritism.
It is promoting incompetent people, naturally increasing incompetency. Today, India is purchasing arms from other small countries, military personnel indulged in anti-national, bribe, graft etc. cases. DRDO is for what- old lot getting itself extensions. New scientists are looking DRDO’s rotten working research culture, which is incompatible for research. They prefer to leave organisation than to die in the organisation for nothing.
INDIAN DISCOVERER KEPT UNDER CAPTIVITY AT DEFENCE LAORATORY, JODHPUR in 1992.
INDIAN DISCOVERER KEPT UNDER CAPTIVITY…… This article is intended to provide some insights to Government of India why INDIAN ACADEMIC and RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS ARE CRUMBLING despite spending huge amounts for research and development. My own experience says hard working scientists with honesty and sincerity face a hell in Indian academic and research institutions, besides not getting normal promotions. The biggest consolation for me today is that I escaped from going to jail, while doing research work at Jodhpur . On one hand, my senior colleagues in DRDO at Jodhpur did not want me to get any award for the discovery of a new atomic phenomenon taking place in radioisotopes, for the fear that I might become the next Director of the Defence Laboratory. They denied me two promotions by downgrading my ACRs. Now some people in DRDO staged a war through Krishnan Raman and Gp Capt Sandhu, as DRDO staff or retired from DRDO and resorted to mudslinging on the Physics Discoveries done by me, discrediting even the India ’s glory. Just one day before Gp Capt Sandhu launched an attack on my research work, I received an e-mail on 2 Feb 13 from Air Cmde Raghubir Singh(Retd), Pune with a copy to Sandhu Gp Capt GS…….. “Dear Dr Padmanabha Rao, I read about you today & your meeting SA at that time. There is similar case of an intellectual Gp Capt GS Sandhu my course mate & we served together in the IAF & DRDO for long years. He took premature retirement & continued with his research on his own .He too had met Dr APJ Abdul Kalam”. ….. BLACK HOLES IN WHITE APRON:…………. While working as Lecturer in Medical Physics in Nuclear Medicine Dept at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi I have been invited as Assembly Member to the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology held at Tokyo in 1974 at the age of just 37 yrs. Looking at the Memento presented to me at Tokyo, one eminent Physics Professor at Jodhpur told me that it is a rare International Honor. For my doctoral thesis, I worked independently after office hours sometimes up to 2.00 A.M for over 5 years that ultimately led to the award of PhD Degree (AIIMS) in 1975. All these academic distinctions did not help me to get a normal promotion from Lecturer to Assistant Professor for 11 years in the prestigious academic institution in the country, while some others managed to get senior posts with no experience, in the same Department. My medical colleagues did not want an honest man around in the Department in their top secret activity. When AIIMS prohibits private practice, my three Nuclear Medicine doctor colleagues leagued with two private practicing doctors and tested nearly 400 patients secretly for imaging of liver, brain and thyroid using Gamma Camera and radiopharmacuticals whether required for diagnosis or not but to have monetary benefit. These patients were subjected to radiation exposure whether required for diagnosis or not. Against the normal practice, they were given appointments on phone and in the appointment register patients names were not entered, but as 2 patients of doctor (Private practitioner’ name). Reports were handed over directly to patients, while such VIP facilities were denied for AIIMS Hospital patients. Money transaction took place from private practitioners to my medical colleagues. The news was published in magazines, with the title ‘Nuclear Racket’ in the weekly Blitz, and ultimately in Indian Express. Three enquiries were held as a pretext but only to save the guilty. File containing detailed list of patients tested illegally reached Health Minister Laskar through Home Minister Venkata Subbayya but everything was hushed up. Afterwards, two of these Nuclear Medicine doctors could secure posts as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at Geneva . I left AIIMS after 19 yrs when not promoted for 11 yrs from the post of Lecturer………. INDIAN DISCOVERER KEPT UNDER CAPTIVITY:………….. When I joined the Defence Laboratory at Jodhpur in Rajasthan in March 1983 as Sc D (Assistant Director) through UPSC selection, two of my senior colleagues who knew me at Delhi were unhappy of my joining. As a result, no office chair and table were offered to me for 40 days. In 1984, I wrote a letter in private capacity to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi requesting to nominate me for Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship. An officer was deputed from PMO to meet me and discuss the matter. But the then Director did not allow the officer to meet me. My seniors were afraid that I may become the next Director. What I got was punishment instead of Fellowship. My Annual Confidential Report was downgraded so that I do not get promotion for next 4 to 5 yrs. On instigation by my senior colleagues, three members of workers union were looking for an opportunity. Probably in 1992, three members of workers union saw me in an isolated building but hardly 15 meters from Director’s office. One person blocked the door without any chance for me to escape from the room. Time was 5.30 p.m, and the laboratory would be closed at any moment. When I was trying to escape from room, another person hiding behind the door hit me. My hand was fractured. The third person stood at the entrance of the building so that I cannot escape from the building. The Director office just 15 meters away did not care to relieve me. Director and Deputy Director were hearing the episode from another office. After 45 minutes my colleague with the help of Administrative officer relieved me. When all the scientists protested for the untoward incident and news appeared in local Dailies, those three were suspended on the advice of the Scientific Advisor to Minister for Defence, Dr. Arunachalam. I lodged an FIR and it became a criminal case. In 1997, I withdrew the case because one person may go to jail for 7 yrs. I happened to do the breakthrough research that led to six fundamental physics discoveries while attending criminal court on one side. I just got only one promotion when most of my colleagues got 3 promotions in 14 yrs of service. While the laboratory has been a hell to carry on my research, it was a heaven to some. Some of my colleagues were fortunate to became Grade I directors without any need of working a single hour in the experimental laboratory. One Head of the Department was fortunate enough to purchase 10 plots near aerodrome for serving as Stores in-charge. Today it is worth several Crores of Rupees. Some scientists did pioneering research how to become rich and get regular promotions without any need of doing any significant work. While many young scientists leave DRDO, to some scientists DRDO is an ATM card. This is how a serious research worker with sincerity and honesty can face torturous life in India , so the young seek foreign shores…….. Please peruse my comment approved by Mr. Luis Miranda in his Blog ‘Why I have turned pessimistic about the education sector’. http://forbesindia.com/blog/economy-policy/why-i-have-turned-pessimistic-about-the-education-sector/ – See more at: http://forbesindia.com/blog/technology/what-this-75-yr-olds-story-tells-us-about-discovery-in-india/#sthash.KW4ZaGW3.dpuf