Tag Archives: 2008

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एरीज के पूर्व निदेशक समेत दो को भेजा जेल

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नैनीताल स्थित आर्यभट्ट प्रेक्षण विज्ञान शोध संस्थान में 2008 में हुए इंजीनियर भर्ती घोटाले का मामला

संवाद सहयोगी, देहरादून: नैनीताल स्थित आर्यभट्ट प्रेक्षण विज्ञान शोध संस्थान(एरीज) में वर्ष 2008 में हुए इंजीनियर भर्ती घोटाले के आरोपी संस्थान के पूर्व निदेशक राम सागर ने मंगलवार को सीबीआइ के विशेष न्यायाधीश अमित सिरोही की अदालत में आत्मसमर्पण कर दिया। उनके साथ एक अन्य आरोपी टॉर स्टील रिसर्च इंस्टीट्यूट ऑफ इंडिया दिल्ली के मुख्य सलाहकार अभियंता (चीफ कंसल्टिंग इंजीनियर) एएल संधल ने भी अदालत में समर्पण किया। अदालत ने दोनों को 14 दिन की न्यायिक अभिरक्षा में जेल भेज दिया। घोटाले में कुल पांच आरोपी हैं।

वर्ष 2008 में संस्थान की ओर से इंजीनियर ‘बी’ के पदों पर भर्ती के लिए विज्ञापन निकाले गए थे। इन पदों पर कुल 23 अभ्यर्थियों ने आवेदन किया था। संस्थान इंजीनियर ‘बी’ पदों पर तो कोई चयन नहीं किया, अलबत्ता इंजीनियर ‘सी’ पद पर एक भर्ती कर दी। इस भर्ती में उन पर भाई-भतीजावाद का आरोप लगाते हुए नैनीताल निवासी डीएन भट्ट व अल्मोड़ा निवासी नीरज नयाल ने हाई कोर्ट में जनहित याचिका दायर की।

इस पर अदालत ने पहले केंद्रीय सतर्कता आयोग को जांच के आदेश दिए। बाद में आयोग की जांच से असंतुष्ट हो मामला सीबीआइ को सौंप दिया। मामला सामने आने पर रामसागर निदेशक पद से हटा दिया गया। सीबीआइ ने नौ मई 2013 को न्यायालय में संस्थान के निदेशक राम सागर निवासी 0610, प्रथम ई-क्रास रोड कोरामंगलम बैंगलूरू और टॉर स्टील रिसर्च इंस्टीट्यूट ऑफ इंडिया के अभियंता एएल संधल निवासी मकान नंबर 01, हौज खास नई दिल्ली समेत पांच आरोपियों के खिलाफ अदालत में आरोप पत्र दाखिल किया। तब से आरोपियों को पेश होने के लिए नोटिस दर नोटिस भेजे जा रहे थे। इसी बीच रामसागर व एएल संधल ने न्यायालय में आत्म समर्पण कर जमानत की अर्जी लगाई। मंगलवार को अदालत ने जमानत अर्जी खारिज कर दी।danik jagran 29 October 2014

Drdo

डीआरडीओ से एक और घिनौना चेहरा, डीआरडीओ के उच्चतम पदो में आसीन वैज्ञानिको को देशहित से ज्यादा परिवार हित नजर आता है

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डीआरडीओ से एक और महिला वैज्ञानिक की छुट्टी

अरुणेश पठानिया

देहरादून। नियमों को ताक पर रख डीआरडीओ में हुई भर्ती के मामले में एक और महिला वैज्ञानिक पर गाज गिरी है। महिला वैज्ञानिक की दस वर्ष पुरानी नियुक्ति डीआरडीओ ने समाप्त कर दी है।

फर्जीवाड़े का खुलासा होने के बाद यह दूसरी वैज्ञानिक हैं जिसकी सेवाएं समाप्त की गई हैं। इससे पहले जून में एक निदेशक की पत्नी वैज्ञानिक (एफ) टी चंद्रा बानु की सेवाएं समाप्त की गई थी। डीआरडीओ ने अधिकारिक तौर पर सेवाएं समाप्त करने की पुष्टि की। डीआरडीओ में वैज्ञानिकों की नियुक्तियों में वरिष्ठ अधिकारियों की ओर से अपनी बेटी, पत्नी और रिश्तेदारों को तरजीह देने और इसके लिए नियमों को दरकिनार करने का खुलासा नवंबर 2013 में सेंट्रल विजलेंस कमीशन ने किया था। सीवीसी की रिपोर्ट में तीन महिला वैज्ञानिकों की नियुक्ति में अपनाई प्रक्रिया की जांच की गई, जिनके रिश्तेदार पहले से डीआरडीओ में वरिष्ठ पदों पर तैनात थे। –

  • रक्षा संस्‍थान में मानकों में हेराफेरी कर हुई नियुक्ति का मामला

  • 2004 में हुई थी भर्ती, पिता संस्थान में उच्च पद से हैं रिटायर

  • चार माह पूर्व भी एक महिला वैज्ञानिक की नियुक्ति हुई थी निरस्त

  • सीवीसी की रिपोर्ट में नियुक्तियों में फर्जीवाड़े का हुआ था खुलासा

जून 2014 में डीआरडीओ ने एक निदेशक स्तर के अधिकारी की पत्नी वैज्ञानिक (एफ) टी चंद्रा बानु की सेवाएं समाप्त की थी। उम्र, शैक्षणिक योग्यता, अनुभव के नियमों में रियायत देकर बानु को वर्ष 2008 में साइंटिस्ट एफ पद पर नियुक्ति दी गई थी। अब संस्थान से वरिष्ठ पद से रिटायर हुए वैज्ञानिक की बेटी स्वाति श्रीवास्तव की सेवाएं समाप्त कर दी गई है। वर्ष 2004 में जिस विषय के वैज्ञानिक की तैनाती होनी थी उसमें हेरफेर कर जो डिग्री स्वाति के पास थी उसी के आधार पर नियुक्ति दी गई। अभी मामले में कुछ और वरिष्ठ वैज्ञानिकों के रिश्तेदारों पर कार्रवाई हो सकती है। डीआरडीओ के प्रवक्ता डा. रवि गुप्ता ने बताया कि वैज्ञानिक स्वाति श्रीवास्तव की नियुक्ति समाप्त कर दी है। हालांकि उन्होंने हटाए जाने के कारण स्पष्ट नहीं किए।

सीबीआई जांच की हो चुकी है सिफारिश ः डीआरडीओ में वैज्ञानिकों की भर्ती में धांधली पर तत्कालीन रक्षा मंत्री एके एंटनी ने नवंबर 2013 में सीबीआई जांच की सिफारिश की थी। सीवीओ की जांच रिपोर्ट के बाद डीआरडीओ में रिक्रूटमेंट एसेसमेंट सेंटर (आरएसी) के माध्यम होने वाली भर्ती पर सवाल खड़े हो गए हैं। इस रिपोर्ट को मंत्रालय को सौंप दिया गया है, जिसके बाद सीबीआई जांच के आदेश रक्षा मंत्री ने दिए हैं। मामले में डीआरडीओ के दो पूर्व प्रमुख सहित कुछ वरिष्ठ वैज्ञानिकों पर चहेतों को नियुक्ति देने में नियमों को दरकिनार करने का आरोप है।

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An old age problem -DRDO has become ageing body with top scientists on extension

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For a country that boasts of one of the youngest populations in the world, it is strange that the field that perhaps deals with the most cutting-edge technology is dominated by scientists past their prime. Most top scientists at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) who are tasked with creating future weapons are past the retirement age of 60 and are on service extensions.

Indeed, such is the state of affairs that the head of the research organisation, which encompasses 54 establishments and labs dealing with fields as diverse as ballistic missile defence and insect repellent cream, will get an 18-month contractual tenure from November when he turns 64, the maximum age till which service extensions can be given. This extraordinary contract, beyond the remit of extensions, was specially approved by the previous UPA government more than a year in advance for the present DRDO Chairman Avinash Chander.

Though not new, the old age crisis of the lumbering organisation has worsened as private sector prospects have brightened for young scientists. Internal surveys have found that nearly 87 per cent of the young scientists who join DRDO soon get disenchanted with the archaic, rigid structure of the research body that does not reward extraordinary performance with proportional career growth. Annual intake of new scientists has dropped to just 70, barely enough to replace those who take early retirement, thereby, rapidly increasing DRDO’s age profile.

It is still early to judge the Narendra Modi Government’s policies, but the perception that it is taking a strong stand on the issue has brought cheer to hundreds of young scientists itching to prove their worth in DRDO’s labs across India. A series of events, from the Prime Minister’s remark on promoting young scientists to the cabinet secretariat’s stinging order curbing DRDO’s unilateral age extensions to its scientists, have raised hopes that the problem is finally being addressed.

It’s about time, too. As many as 10 of the 16 top DRDO scientists are on extension. Apart from Chander, nine of the top-graded `Distinguished Scientists should have retired, but most are now on their second extension.

Rules mandate that DRDO scientists must retire at 60. They can, however, be given two two-year extensions under,extraordinary circumstances. Beyond the age of 64, there is no provision for service extension. Yet, the UPA government, in May 2013, approved an Appointments Committee of the Cabinet note to give an 18-month extension to Chander following his “date of retirement of 30.11.2014 on contract basis, with the same terms and conditions as he would be entitled to before the date of retirement”.

By doing this, the UPA went back on its promise to appoint a younger head to DRDO. (Both V.K. Saraswat and M. Natarajan, who preceded Chander, retired at 64.) The special provision made for Chander has become the subject matter of several complaints, the latest by one of DRDO’s own, younger scientists to the cabinet secretariat in August. “The post-retirement contract is not legal and has been made against the rules. A contractual employee can be taken for an advisory role but not to head an organisation,” Navin Gupta, the Kanpur-based DRDO Scientist ‘C’, said in his complaint.

While a convincing argument can be made that age is no criterion for innovation and that experience and continuity is needed to deal with certain technology areas, most scientists on extension in the DRDO are handling primarily administrative positions- from most director generals at the headquarters to the heads of six of DRDO’s 54 labs and establishments.

The impact of the extensions policy on DRDO’s talent pool is immense: an internal survey found that most of its entry-level scientists are unhappy about their career prospects and some 57 per cent of all scientists leave the organisation prematurely due to lack of professional satisfaction. Since 2008, nearly 500 entry and mid-level scientists have resigned or taken early retirement while intake of new scientists has barely kept pace. At a seminar on August 20, Chander admitted this was a problem that required urgent attention. “DRDO’s annual intake of young scientists has dipped to 70 per year, resulting in a rapidly rising average age which certainly is not a good sign for an innovation-centric organisation,” he said. The average age of DRDO scientists is creeping closer to 40.

When Modi, speaking immediately after Chander at the same function, said that at least five DRDO labs should only employ scientists under 35, it was the first indication that his Government was addressing the problem. Many thought that the PM picked the number, five, randomly, unaware that it had come from the most in-depth review of the DRDO ever done.

The review, conducted by the Rama Rao Committee in 2008, had identified five labs working in critical fields such as solid state physics, metallurgy, cryptology and lasers for ‘empowered‘ status in order to give them the liberty to quickly induct young talent, bypassing the cumbersome selection process.

The voluminous report suggested other far-reaching reforms, but the UPA government never fully implemented it. The new Government has dusted it and top officials are studying its recommendations. These include revamping the human resource structure to enable DRDO to hire talent from outside, including Indians working abroad, for key technologies; identifying a set of ’empowered labs’ that have the freedom to hire and fire scientists; lowering the age of entry of talent; and looking abroad for key innovators. “A balance has to be struck. The optimised path may be being selective in granting extensions for specific research projects and not for administrative roles,” says Air Marshal Ajit Bhavnani (retd), who was a member of the review committee.

As for the old age issue, one of the first things the Modi regime has done, at least, is get the cabinet secretariat to issue a terse circular on September 26, directing DRDO to stop the practice of unilaterally granting age extensions to its scientists without the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, which is headed by the Prime Minister. Sources say extensions have been put on hold and all such future requests would be critically examined. Whether the Government is firm in this resolve will be tested by the upcoming grant of a contract extension to the DRDO chairman.

India Today
India Today
DRDO Chairman Avinash Chander with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
DRDO Chairman Avinash Chander with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

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World won’t wait for you, PM Narendra Modi tells laggard DRDO

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Rajat Pandit,TNN | Aug 21, 2014, 05.46 AM IST
NEW DELHI: The “Chalta Hai” attitude will no longer do. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the DRDO to ensure delivery of cutting-edge weapon systems to the armed forces in time to keep India ahead in the national security arena.

Though the stern message was couched in mild language, the intent behind it could not be lost. Most of DRDO projects, ranging from Tejas light combat aircraft to long-range surface-to-air missile systems, after all, are running years behind schedule with huge cost overruns.

The fact that India, which aspires to be a superpower, still embarrassingly imports over 65% of its military requirements is basically due to failure of successive governments to build a strong domestic defence-industrial base (DIB) as well as tardy performance of DRDO and its 50 labs, five defence PSUs, four shipyards and 39 ordnance factories.

India does not lack the requisite scientific talent and capability but this “chalta hai” attitude (lackadaisical) has put paid to all endeavours, said Modi at the annual DRDO awards function on Wednesday.

“The world will not wait for us. We have to run ahead of time. We should not say in 2014 that a project conceived in 1992 will take some more time,” said Modi. With defence technology evolving at a rapid rate around the globe, India cannot afford to conceptualize systems that are two steps behind what will soon hit the MARKET.

“DRDO has to decide whether it will only react to the situation, or become pro-active and set the agenda for the global community. I have hopes from DRDO because I know it has the capability to perform,” said Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the DRDO Awards 2013 function in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Defence minister Arun Jaitley also stressed that defence scientists had the “intellectual talent” to turn DRDO into “a hub for defence manufacturing” if they worked towards it in the right earnest.

But this might take some doing. For one, DRDO wants more FUNDS for R&D. For another, though it has over 7,500 scientists on its rolls, it wants to attract bright youngsters from top-notch institutions like the IITs with better incentives.

“Our intake of young scientists is down to just 70 per year. This is certainly not a good sign for an innovation-centric organization. Sanction of additional manpower at the rate of 300 per year for the next seven-eight years is essential for meeting technology challenges,” said DRDO chief Avinash Chander.

But it’s equally true that DRDO itself needs to be revamped and reformed. As reported by TOI earlier, the Rama Rao Committee (RRC) in 2008 held DRDO should focus only on 8 to 10 “critical technologies” of “strategic importance”, instead of making everything from dental implants and mosquito repellents to nuclear missiles and fighter jets.

Two key RRC recommendations, for instance, to establish a new Defence Technology Commission and a commercial arm for DRDO (as a private limited company with Rs 2 crore as seed capital) are yet to be implemented.DRDO missiles

 

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23 yrs and first fighter aircraft hasn’t taken off

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Express Investigation: Delayed Research; Delayed Organisation – Part – Four

23 yrs and first fighter aircraft hasn’t taken off

Amitav Ranjan , Siv Aroor
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Posted: Wed Nov 15 2006, 00:00 hrs
New Delhi, November 14:

At its last meeting in December 2005, the General Body of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the society developing the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, recorded one fact: the Indian Air Force, despite official plans to ultimately buy 220 LCAs, would order only 20 aircraft.
And that the IAF had refused to push the order up until it’s convinced that the new 2010 deadline, the project’s third consecutive time over-run, would be met.

The IAF had more than a reason.

According to latest official figures that will shortly be tabled by the Standing Committee on Defence in a report for Parliament, available with The Indian Express, DRDO’s 23-year-old indigenous fighter aircraft programme, taken as a whole — including the radar, jet engine and Naval variant — would have wiped away a minimum of Rs 9444.5 crore by 2010. Aggregate cost over-run: Rs 4,094 crore. Delay: 12.5 years and counting.
By DRDO’s own testimony in June to the same committee, there are still “certain complexities,” although it claims it will produce the 20 LCAs on order from the IAF by December 2011. But that would still be understandable if the LCA was in any way ready.

Five months after the ADA meeting, Air chief S P Tyagi communicated in no uncertain terms to then Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee that his force could not depend on the programme in the short term. Shortly thereafter, he told The Indian Express: “We have to see if it is a suitably modern aircraft when it is complete. Right now we just cannot take any decisions. We can only wait for initial operational clearance (in 2008).”

The implication: the IAF is not sure if the LCA would have slipped down a few generations by the time it’s inducted. But the Standing Committee only had this to say: “The Committee are constrained to note that, keeping in view the ever-increasing delay in operational clearance of LCA, early induction of the same as IAF squadrons seems to be an unrealistic proposition.”

Just how unrealistic it is is something that has come to characterize the LCA programme ever since its inception in August 1983, and culminating now in a gravely unready fighter aircraft that the IAF could have no choice but to induct in large numbers from 2012.

Consider the following: Despite a battery of nine test pilots who have been embedded with the LCA programme, the IAF has refused to officially certify any technological aspect of the LCA apart from its structural strength, until initial operational clearance (IOC). Air Headquarters said so, in a written reply to this newspaper. The clearance should have been achieved by 2007 but its new schedule is 2008.

After a four-year wait following the rollout of the LCA technology demonstrator in 1997 for a first flight, former Air chief S Krishnaswamy made out an official case in 2003 for a “limited series induction” of the aircraft to give the IAF a chance to familiarize itself. He told The Indian Express, “The LCA is not full in any way, each prototype is different. I was a staunch supporter of indigenisation but am also very critical. How long can you keep on developing a product?”

The eight promised Limited Series Production fighters, envisaged as a part of the Rs 3,301.78 crore second phase of the programme, are nowhere in sight. The LCA, which should have undergone weapons trials by 2003, will now only undergo “dummy” trials in December 2007 according to DRDO chief M Natarajan, putting a big question mark on the possibility of IOC by 2008.

The real problem: the HAL-DRDO multi-mode radar, the very brain that will guide the LCA’s weapons, is not ready. After spending Rs 166.8 crore since 1997, HAL has decided to bring in a foreign technical partner to bail it out. The radar has been tested on an HS-748 Avro, but persistent problems with software and its signal processor have forced HAL and DRDO to admit their failure.

DRDO has justified the delays and their impact on the IAF’s preparedness by pointing to a revision of the development strategy because of a foreign exchange shortage in the 1990s, US sanctions, re-designing composite wings for weapon definition after January 2004 and extensive on-ground and independent evaluation.

After a cost and time overrun of Rs 2,456 crore and 13 years since 1996, DRDO admitted to the Standing Committee in June that it could complete the Kaveri engine only under a foreign joint venture. Problems that have crippled the Kaveri, according to the latest DRDO testimony, include critical glitches in aerodynamic, aero-mechanical, combustion and structural integrity.

Most significantly, DRDO has admitted to the Committee that to improve performance and safety issues, a JV could be attempted. Former DRDO chief V K Aatre said: “When I retired (in August 2004), there were some loose ends in the programme involving the radar and jet engine. But I am surprised they have still not been resolved.”

The DRDO was pulled up in January by the Standing Committee to explain how the LCA’s delays would impact the IAF’s modernization. Their reply: “IAF only can state the possible impact of delay on modernization exclusively due to LCA.”

But at Air HQ, an unofficial and approximate damage analysis of the LCA’s delay, shared with The Indian Express, is to the tune of Rs 11,440 crore in forced upgrades (some variants of the MiG-21 that the LCA was to replace will be forced to serve till 2019-2021 at least) and stop-gap acquisitions.

This does not include the purchase of 126 fighters potentially worth Rs 30,000 crore that the IAF will shortly begin an acquisition process for. In an unusual move, the Naval LCA will use air data systems from Russia’s state-owned Rosobornexport, which will also create a shore-based test facility for the Rs 948.90 crore development. MiG Corporation will conduct a design review and be DRDO’s chief consultant.
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Arjun, Main Battle Tanked

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Express Investigation: Delayed Research; Delayed Organisation – Part – Three

Arjun, Main Battle Tanked

Amitav Ranjan                                                                                                                  Posted: Tue Nov 14 2006, 00:00 hrs                                                                                New Delhi, November 13:

The Arjun tank has no future. It still cannot fire straight. The T-90, a far superior tank, can kill the Arjun. We would not cross any border with these tanks.

Strong words, from Brigadier D K Babbar, the Army’s pointsman for the Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun project at the Mechanised Forces directorate until he retired last year from the 94th Armoured Brigade. Babbar, who spoke to The Indian Express, has reason to be disillusioned. So has Army chief General J J Singh who was more diplomatic last month: “We will see where we can use it to get optimum use.”

It’s not going to be easy.

Over 30 years after Project Arjun was sanctioned by Indira Gandhi’s Cabinet to make a home-grown battle tank that would address the armoured deficit identified during the 1971 war, the Army is now faced with a troubling prospect: inducting a lumbering, misfiring, vintage design tank like the Arjun, and that, too, in large numbers.

This, after DRDO over-shot Arjun’s project deadline by 16 years — from 1984 to 1995, finally closing the project only in 2000 — and the cost over-run is almost 20 times the original estimate. This is the highest percentage over-run for any DRDO project.

With five pre-production tanks forced upon the Army’s 43rd Armoured Regiment in 2004 and 23 tanks to be handed over shortly, MBT Arjun is about to be pushed into full-rate production outside Chennai, with the Army bound by its commitment to buy 124 for two regiments, all of which are to be delivered by 2008.

Still having 58 per cent of its content imported – including its engine, the integrated gunner’s main sight and tracks— the Arjun tank was put through confirmatory trials in the Mahajan ranges in July but the Army wasn’t holding its breath.

 

Consider these: At a mammoth 58.5 tons, Arjun is a full weight class over the Russian T-90 and nowhere near as agile.

• In May, the Defence Ministry publicized the Army chief’s inauguration of a product called Bogie Flat Arjun Tank (BFAT) built by Bharat Earth Movers in Bangalore. What it didn’t say: these were specially built rail wagons wide enough and reinforced to carry the massive 3.85-m-wide Arjun. For, the tank will crack the existing freight wagons.

• According to the Army’s latest trials, the decade-old problem of overheating persists. Two of the tank’s main subsystems, the fire control system (FCS) and integrated gunner’s main sight, which includes a thermal imager and laser range-finder, are rendered erratic and useless by the Arjun’s abnormally high peak internal temperature, which moves well beyond 55 degrees Celsius. This is in testimony to the Parliamentary committee.

• Following failed trials in summer 1997, which were criticized in a 1998 CAG report for a series of malfunctions, transmission failures and overheating, and an exodus of scientists from DRDO the same year, the tank’s production cost shot up steeply. Its unit price in 1997 was Rs 10.8 crore. It’s official unit price now: Rs 16.8 crore.

Former chief Gen Shankar Roy Choudhary had promised his service quick inductions, only to be faced with yet another extension by DRDO. In the same period, the Sino-Pak Al-Khalid tank was productionised and had begun inductions. When contacted, Roy Choudhary said: “I was a strong proponent of the Arjun tank but its performance was disappointing.”

• On October 12, Minister of State for Defence Production Rao Inderjit Singh told The Indian Express that it was decided — after the recent trials — that the production-series tanks will be stripped of their indigenous tracks and will have imported ones. So will the first few tanks that roll out of the Heavy Vehicles Factory outside Chennai. In other words, after three decades of research, Main Battle Tank Arjun cannot stand on its own “indigenous” feet.

• The project, according to testimony provided in January by the Defence Ministry to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, has produced virtually nothing. DRDO admitted to the same committee in June that it would be able to develop an indigenous engine, gunner’s main sight and tracks only if the Army places an order beyond 124 tanks. However, the Army has no such plans, making it uneconomical and non-feasible to reduce import content.

“License production of the above items may be feasible with enhanced order quantity for Arjun tanks and may result in reduction in import contents,” admits DRDO. It is, therefore, no surprise that the Army will progressively begin inducting between 800-1000 T-90 Bhishma tanks, which will be built under license from Russia, from 2008, making the letter ‘M’ in Arjun’s prefix not just superfluous but bogus. Why?

“It is important for the Army to maintain combat superiority over its adversaries. There have been delays and slippages in the MBT Arjun project,” Army Headquarters said in written replies to The Indian Express. Five months ago, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence said, “The Committee also desires that accountability for delay in production of the Arjun Tank may be fixed.” But the Arjun, which has cost the exchequer Rs 305.6 crore so far (representing one of the largest ever cost-overruns in percentage terms), has the influential DRDO high command unfalteringly behind it. DRDO chief Manthiram Natarajan, chief architect of the Arjun programme and a 2002 Padma Shri, has been associated with the programme since its birth in 1974 and became Programme Director in 1987. When contacted, he said, “Defence scientists are conscious that there have been time over-runs on some of the projects. But even today, it is much more cost efficient than tanks of same calibre being produced elsewhere.”

But DRDO is undeterred. With the Army’s armour perspective plan drawing out 60 regiments by 2020, DRDO told the Parliamentary panel that it’s now developing what it calls Tank-X, a hybrid consisting of an Arjun gun turret mounted on a T-72 chassis. Two tanks have been prepared, and DRDO has said it will shortly offer them to the Army for an evaluation. No guesses for why the Army isn’t terribly excited.

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Need to revamp, give us roadmap in a fortnight: Govt tells DRDO —-Manu Pubby Posted: Sun Apr 27 2008, 00:36 hrs New Delhi, April 26:

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Need to revamp, give us roadmap in a fortnight: Govt tells DRDO

Manu Pubby  Posted: Sun Apr 27 2008, 00:36 hrs New Delhi, April 26:

Barely a month after receiving the first ever external review report on the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the government has decided to revamp the research body to fix accountability and clear the way for more private sector participation and foreign collaborations.

In fact, the Defence Ministry has decided to move a Cabinet note for the overall restructuring of DRDO as early as next month to ensure that the reorganization starts off by the end of this year. To facilitate this, DRDO has been asked to submit a detailed revamp roadmap to South Block within a fortnight.

The roadmap, which will be examined by the Defence Ministry to make sure that it “reflects the spirit” of the P Rama Rao Committee report, would lay emphasis on the need for using all means possible to incorporate globally available technologies for indigenous development projects.

As first reported in a series in The Indian Express, the 50-year-old organization came under flak for repeated delays and failures by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence in 2006. The government decided to set up a high-powered committee led by P Rama Rao, former secretary, Department of Science & Technology to “examine the effectiveness of R&D support provided vis-à-vis in-house research facilities with DRDO and to ensure effective participation of the private sector in Defence Research”. The committee submitted its report on March 5, exactly one year after it had been commissioned.

The major points recommended by the Rama Rao Committee that are to be incorporated into the road map:

• The 52 DRDO laboratories are to be realigned into five “lab clusters,” each will be headed by a Director General and have its own specialization. The broad clusters: Electronics, Armaments, Avionics, Missile Systems and a dedicated research cluster. Each cluster will have a certain degree of autonomy and will be accountable for failures and delays. The Chief Controllers, who will be re-designated as Director Generals, will move out of New Delhi to take charge of these clusters

• Setting up a tri-services cell within the framework of the organization to overlook all development projects from the conception stage itself. The cell will be headed by a three-star officer — this position will be held by all three forces on a rotational basis. The cell will have three Major General-rank officers who will oversee development projects of their respective services.

To speed up development and meet deadlines, promote joint ventures with global players, involve private sector and foreign collaborations to inculcate globally available technologies into the organization.

• Entire restructuring to be monitored by a special implementation cell that will be headed by a DRDO Chief Controller. The cell will also have a representative from the Rama Rao Committee and will report directly to the Defence Ministry.

DRDO, which has come under increasing flak for repeated delays and failures, will be made more accountable and has been told to put emphasis on private sector partnerships and foreign joint collaborations to ensure time-bound projects. The revamp will also address the long-standing demand of the armed forces for deeper involvement in defence-development projects and will push for a younger age profile of scientists.

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DRDO turns to NRIs to reverse brain drain

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DRDO turns to NRIs to reverse brain drain

Rajat Pandit, TNN Mar 13, 2008, 03.09am IST

NEW DELHI: Pack your bags, return to India and work in the cutting-edge defence technology arena to bolster the country’s military strength.

Often lambasted for huge time and cost overruns in strategic projects, the Defence Research and Development Organisation now wants to add some solid NRI firepower to its armoury.

After losing close to 1,500 scientists to much greener pastures of corporate world just since 2002, DRDO is stepping up its ‘talent search scheme’ to lure NRIs into its fold through some ‘reverse brain drain’.

The scheme for NRIs, though still in its infancy, has already netted at least 40 PhDs and MTechs working in academics or industry in countries like US, UK, Japan and Sweden.

“We are intensifying the drive. In 2007 alone, we received 150 applications from NRI scientists and engineers and finally picked up 22. The number of applicants is increasing, with the majority coming from US,” a top DRDO scientist told TOI on Wednesday.

Defence minister A K Antony, on his part, told Parliament that DRDO, faced with an ‘attrition rate’ of around 7% every year, was now processing applications ‘quickly’ in the NRI talent search scheme.

“They are being interviewed through televideo conferencing for their quick appointment in DRDO. The process is repeated three-four times a year to increase the intake of NRIs,” he said.

At present, DRDO has around 6,900 scientists against a sanctioned strength of 7,255. But the greater worry is the ‘quality’ of scientists, with DRDO unable to attract bright youngsters from institutes like IITs in sufficient numbers for its 52 laboratories and establishments across the country.

It hopes to gain some ground through the NRI scheme, both in terms of quantity and quality. “The NRIs bring new knowledge, expertise, work ethic and culture,” said the scientist.

But will the scheme attract good talent, considering that those selected will get a carry-home monthly package of just about Rs 35,000 to Rs 45,000? DRDO seems reasonably confident of it.

“NRIs in the 35 to 45 age-group, having worked abroad for 10 or more years, have enough buffer money. If they want to come back to their kith and kin, we can provide them with job satisfaction,” said a senior DRDO official.

“We also give value in terms of accommodation, working environment and facilities in our labs, health benefits, pension and the like,” he added. Then, of course, DRDO has demanded a ‘performance-based incentive package’ for scientists, over and above the revision in salaries, from the 6th Pay Commission.

This includes proposals like a Rs 10,000 award for every patent being filed or a paper being published in a reputed journal, as also a ‘technology-transfer fee’ for every lab-to-industry transfer.

DRDO scientists say Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself has promised to them that careers in science will be made ‘more attractive from all perspectives’ to stem brain drain.

Apart from fiscal and career incentives, they say the government is also considering facilitating mobility between institutions, between institutions and academia, as well as from research institutions to the production and marketing sectors.

rajat.pandit@timesgroup.com

Readers’ opinions (33)

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Raja (India)
13 Mar, 2008 01:41 PM
India has always been a growing economy; esp. in last 7-8 years. India has very confidently entered in 21st century. Today, countries like: U.S., U.K., Japan have realised that. Canada and Australia have realised India’s potential too; but still – i believe it is just a matter of time before they start getting more serious like U.S., U.K. and Japan. This is an excellent move. And Guys… for many NRI’S; money is not the only criteria to be staying outside their own country. If they are getting similar opportunities in research and development sectors, growth opportunities – than why not? All the best.

arun (china)
13 Mar, 2008 01:32 PM
This move could be a good idea as well as dangerous move. But critising the idea and giving a wrong message (as done by some readers) is not a correct approach. It is accepted that the politicians (like Arjun Singh)spoil the whole education and working institutions. So we will try to put in our effort to protect our motherland for the enemies in our shoulders (china & pakistan). Bring in talents and dollars.

NAGRAJ (HYDERABAD)
13 Mar, 2008 01:23 PM
WHICH NRI WILL COME AND JOIN DRDO. THE DESERVING AND HARD WORKING SCIENTISTS WITH IN DRDO ARE SIDE LINED AND FORGOTTEN AND FELLOWS WHO DONT DO A NAYA PAISA OF JOB AND WHO ARE RHETORIC AND WHO HAVE GOOD RELATION WITH HIGHER UPS HOLD VINTAGE POSITION.LET DRDO RECOGNIZE THE TALENT WITH IN AND HONOR THOSE WHO DEDICATED AND BROUGHT THE MISSILE TECHNOLOGY TO THIS LEVEL SO THAT IT MAY SERVE AS MOTIVATION FOR THE YOUNGER SCIENTIST TO PERFORM BEFORE ASKING THE NRI TO PACK AND COME BACK. ASK THE NON PERFORMING FELLOWS IN DRDO TO PACK AND LEAVE AND ALL WILL BE WELL.

dev (australia)
13 Mar, 2008 01:21 PM
Though having no research qualif. etc..looking at your readers comments..anybody can realise the problem in getting back NRIs..India seems to be run by politicians and bureaucrats..In Western countries the tech people dont kowtow to anybody. If any pollie or bureaucrats create small problem for techie…it will end up in court quite fast. And the legal ppl also will not give any support to their fellow bureaucrats/pollies. So you can see, the babuji culture is the main culprit in india.One of your readers also suggest the solution..having entrance exam for politicians.

Dr. P. Metlapalli (USA)
13 Mar, 2008 12:29 PM
DRDO must be crazy to think anyone would come back from USA for Rs 35000 – 45,000 p.m. in the middle of pothole-ridden roads where no vehicle can move (soon all traffic will come to a standstill in India – with so many vehicles adding daily to the world’s lousiest roads). Politicians are busy with keeping their grip on power – they should first face legal action than try for elections. Their final aim to make 90% reserved – one day a reserved doctor will do their surgery and even then they won’t wake up. All this so-called “economic boom” will collapse the moment US stops outsourcing. India is simply doomed forever, unless they have a “government by merit” – politicians selected by entrance exam than elections. That way their link to elections will be cut and things will automatically get sorted out.

sac (India)
13 Mar, 2008 11:42 AM

Dear NRIs, Dont even THINK of returning to India. You will find your self in the middle of the Mud Reservior. And this mud reservior is a stincking one. India is and will always remain country of illeterate and goondas. It is and will always be ruled by Illeterate and roadside people called Politicians and Mantris. Most of the NRIs repent and look for jobs back in the better coutries in a period of year or 2. The way India is shown to the world is a myth. And in reality, this country and country politicians has no will to improve. The rulers of this country will keep this country poor, countrymen illeterate FOR EVER. Come to India only if you want to KILL your peace of mind, your career, want to beg for everything in front of corrupt beaurocrats, police and politicians and most important, if you want your children and all future generations to ABUSE and CURSE you FOREVER. Think 1000000000000000000 times before coming to India.

Rajivi (Mangalore)
13 Mar, 2008 11:41 AM

Instead of appealing to the NRIs, the DRDO, being a government organisation, should provide an atmoshpere of good working condition and good salary. Now a days, with the cost of education going up and up, the brilliant scientists would not want to work for peanuts,after spending huge amount on their education. Being a retired government employee, I know how the working atmoshpere is, and also the pain seniours experience, when they have to work under the Juniors, in the name of reservation.

Rajivi (Mangalore)
13 Mar, 2008 11:41 AM

Instead of appealing to the NRIs, the DRDO, being a government organisation, should provide an atmoshpere of good working condition and good salary. Now a days, with the cost of education going up and up, the brilliant scientists would not want to work for peanuts,after spending huge amount on their education. Being a retired government employee, I know how the working atmoshpere is, and also the pain seniours experience, when they have to work under the Juniors, in the name of reservation.

dms-sd_CA (California, USA)
13 Mar, 2008 11:32 AM

Just a note: If your hair has not turned gray and thinned out on the top – it is highly unlikely that you are truly a genious scientist !

Mitesh Joshi (Pune)
13 Mar, 2008 11:32 AM

I don’t feel that it is possible for DRDO to attract a “pure techie” from the Silicon valley of US, Hi-tech labs of Japan, Sweden etc… coz they are living a cool life with 4-5000$ per month.Money matters… envionment matters….Government strategy matters…. Nation’s International decision matters…. As we konw the bitter reality of our system i.e. it works for only-only for vote bank & money at any level of corruption. Real techie wants to work on realities & needs, not on time to time changing Govt. policies & courrupt enviornment. They actually have lost the faith in our country system & its leaders. Currently there is a drain of techie’s of middle level layer too in name of studies & marriages. They are now focusing on Australia as their next destination as US is already saturated.

Mitesh Joshi (Pune)
13 Mar, 2008 11:32 AM

I don’t feel that it is possible for DRDO to attract a “pure techie” from the Silicon valley of US, Hi-tech labs of Japan, Sweden etc… coz they are living a cool life with 4-5000$ per month.Money matters… envionment matters….Government strategy matters…. Nation’s International decision matters…. As we konw the bitter reality of our system i.e. it works for only-only for vote bank & money at any level of corruption. Real techie wants to work on realities & needs, not on time to time changing Govt. policies & courrupt enviornment. They actually have lost the faith in our country system & its leaders. Currently there is a drain of techie’s of middle level layer too in name of studies & marriages. They are now focusing on Australia as their next destination as US is already saturated.

Satyanarayan (Singapore)
13 Mar, 2008 11:20 AM

Ask Arjun Singh (our HRD minister) to call NRIs, it would be better. Ask him how much % given for NRIs. To get good scientist pls. stop reservation in indian secuirity. For development of India minority reservation should be totaly eliminated.For DRDO first stop pilitics inside and start working. Do not take your relatives if you are in selection board.

Ajay (Delhi)
13 Mar, 2008 11:17 AM

I think India is going in a right direction. By recruiting NRI specialist, India can grow much stronger and faster in right direction. Jai Hind.

EMC3 (India)
13 Mar, 2008 11:14 AM

Ok…Now we have american spies also inside DRDO…These NRI’s will get paid from CIA as well as from DRDO..The CIA will also create a good identity and resume for them…

krishan (singapore)
13 Mar, 2008 10:54 AM

I dont know how many scientists in the age group of 35-45 will be attracted to this kind of sums, above all we all know the commitments that Indian employees carry,,its just too lazy out there, no accountability. Good luck to DRDO but I dont think it will work out.

P.M.G.Pillai (<ANNAR ALLAPUZHA)
13 Mar, 2008 10:47 AM

The defence minister homself has admitted in the floor of loksabha that ther is an atrition rate of seven percent of scientists from DRDO.People should analyze why this is taking place?After all India need trained,itelligenct scientists for under taking research when that is the fact why this large scale migratio occurs?one can under stand about the LACK OF FACILOITIES,encoutagements from government because poltical leadershiplack VISION hence criticise every aspect of a project for delay with out under standing and knowing the real cause of this Another depatt the accountant general will criticise for over running the cist here also lack knowledge lastly the pay packet also will pinch the concerned. All these causes drive our yong and upcoming intelligent scientists searcg for avenues where they will be given red carpet receotion and lot of encouragment.Hence the attrition.The government must under stand this fact and remedy the situation to ensure that these bright yong men are given honoured positions to under take their research indisturbed

N. S. Talekar (Kunming)
13 Mar, 2008 10:43 AM

This again goes to show that we are not producing quality scientists (Ph. D.) in Indian universities. The NRIs that the government wish to attract hold Ph. Ds from universities abroad. If we produce quality Ph. Ds like American, Australian, and European universities do, such scientists can do the job that government wishes NRIs will do and be happy with the salary that government plans to offer to NRIs. Our top undergraduates (e. g. IIT products) are as good as any in the world, but I cannot speak that for our Ph. Ds. Solution to this quality problem is simple but I doubt the current government has will power to discipline the research universities to improve their research standard.

Yash (MD, US)
13 Mar, 2008 10:43 AM

Bull Shit, — $1000 -1100 a month ..even NRI Cabbies in NY ..or sweepers in heathrow airport ..or construction labor in gulf won’t bother to look at DRDO option.. wake up from Slumber DRDO .. India govt funded institutes have fundamental problem like reservation ..red tape .. sluggishness ..that cause good techies to shun them

james (delhi)
13 Mar, 2008 10:39 AM

Rather than trying to woo in NRI’s, the DRDO needs to make itself attractive to the young and upcoming scientists and students in india. india has never had a dearth of scientific talent. the way DRDO can do that is by actively participating in the various institutes and universities. Moreover DRDO needs to fix definite goals and reward scientists once that is reached. Merit needs to be rewarded. It should get rid of all reservatoins and only take in people with talent. It should start funding research groups who come up with innovative ideas and plans. DRDO needs to be much more dynamic. It has to get rid of that “babu” culture which is very much prevalent. It can learn a thing or two from ISRO and a lot from NASA. Right now DRDO is like a half dead horse with no intention of running.

V Shankar (Coimbatore)
13 Mar, 2008 10:23 AM

The DRDO initiative to attract NRI scientists is welcome. However, the Govt. S&T establishment should do serious introspection into why people leave in the first place. Not all talented people leave for better monetary benefits. They leave because the challenge or vision is not there. One problem is that the leaders are all the time worried about which post to apply for, which tour to go on next. They are also burdened (albeit self-inflicted) by a lot of exracurricular activities, so much so that the main thrust of their role is lost to the organization. It is all too easy to showcase a few achievements and get away with any kind of performance. The leadership is very happy creating good followers who will do what they say. Very few of our top scientists make time to handle and nurture top talent, given their preoccupations. It is time the government did serious introspection into how the top leadership in our S&T organizations, including universities functions. We need to take concrete steps to address systemic factors that remove focus from the mission and put institutional interests above individual goals. V. Shankar

vinay (Bangalore)
13 Mar, 2008 10:23 AM

Tell them to give 80% reservations. They should do good then.

snq (muscat)
13 Mar, 2008 10:14 AM

even after all emigrations to the greener west , india still has a lot of talent. whereas greener west makes a mountain of a mole hill of talent with its supportive environment, in india we even trash mountains of talent to mole hill because of politics of reservation as a vote ban

G S RAINA (NEW DELHI)
13 Mar, 2008 10:09 AM

THIS HAS NEVER BEEN SUCCESSFUL..NEITHER IT WILL BE,…FOR SURE..IN ANY CASE WOULD ANY NRI BE SATISFIED WORKING ON A TECHNOLOGY WHICH HE CAN ‘DEVELOP/ INNOVATE’ ABROAD..WOULD ONE LIKE TO BE THE USER OR THE INVENTOR?

Manjunath (Bangalore)
13 Mar, 2008 10:03 AM

DRDO seeing one more “Day Dream” !!

R.Varadarajan (Bangalore)
13 Mar, 2008 09:55 AM

A good idea to attract good scientists.

C V Pillai (Mumbai)
13 Mar, 2008 09:50 AM

Having worked in a well known Institute for nearly 30 years, I had tried to analyse the problems faced by the best talents who opt for employment in India. The main hurdle is their superiors, who refuse to accept their subordinate’s level of competancy. The pity is that many of these superiors are following the same British style hierarchy,(which is still being followed by our Babujis in NewDelhi) without realizing the situtaion. The situation means the facilities and status offerd by the private sector. Therefore the necessity is to change the attitude of the middle and high level persons in these establishments and then only the newly selected will able to perform well. Appropriate training / counseling may be given to these Officers to understand the changed environment. The Defence minister may please look into this at the earliest.

gadadhari_bhim (usa)
13 Mar, 2008 09:47 AM

I think what the DRDO fails to recognize that it’s not the technical quality of people which is creating a problem. The Problem is the environment where there is no accountability and lack of true meritrocracy. Of course there are issues of pay and other facilities to the scientists i.e. if you want to want to attract top people you have to give top pay and best working environment

Badri (Hyd)
13 Mar, 2008 09:45 AM

I think DRDO has taken a good step towords Brain Drain. It was late but they have implemented it..Govt company’s in India has got lot of potential only thing is they want proper process and mangement in place. My sincer advice atleast dont implement reservation at that high profile jobs….. hunt for talent.

Prabhjot (London)
13 Mar, 2008 09:44 AM

Brain drain has an exponential relationship with salaries. With a carry-home monthly package of just about Rs 35,000 to Rs 45,000, DRDO must be dreaming to attract back NRIs.

TruLies (Chennai)
13 Mar, 2008 08:50 AM

Why dont INDIA allow private R&D in defence projects. Govt can procure its weapons from them, save lot foreign exchange. With this govt can create more jobs. Latter these companies also will go export…

JK (MN)
13 Mar, 2008 08:26 AM

DRDO feels they are the god father of all the techies migrated to US.First you clean those mess then think about brains.

ashwani (canada)
13 Mar, 2008 08:06 AM

It is good to hear that we are finally planning to attract talent for DRDO but is it possible to keep DRDO away from rserved jobs at lower levels who finally also get promoted to higher levels.

Dr.G.Srinivasan (india)
13 Mar, 2008 07:32 AM

Ask Arjun singh and his coterie he will get you the necessary brains

rk (USA)
13 Mar, 2008 05:41 AM

Its time to scrap DRDO. Enough of tax payers money wasted.

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‘DRDO must avoid delays in defence projects’

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TNN Apr 12, 2008, 03.09am IST

NEW DELHI: Indicating that the Defence Research and Development Organization was in for a major revamp, defence minister A K Antony on Friday said cost and time overruns would no longer do in crucial defence projects.

“We are in the process of introducing several innovations to streamline and make more effective the entire defence product development and procurement process,” said Antony, while addressing the 32nd DRDO conference here.

“On the anvil are amendments to our procurement procedures, developing a healthy interface with the public and private industry through offsets and bringing about organizational improvements in DRDO,” he added.

This assumes significance in the backdrop of the recent report by the P Rama Rao committee, which has called for a drastic overhaul of DRDO to ensure it can supply cutting-edge weapon systems to armed forces without the prevailing huge time and cost overruns, as reported by TOI earlier.

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DRDO gets vote of confidence to meet defence needs

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TNN Jun 4, 2008, 02.05am IST

NEW DELHI: In view of some Western countries unwilling to part with strategic defence technologies, the government on Tuesday said it would further strengthen the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for providing strategic defence with suitable delivery systems.

Amid concerns expressed by members of a Parliamentary consultative committee on defence on project delays and poor quality of some products developed by DRDO, defence minister A K Antony told MPs that the research organisation has put India in an elite club with the development of interceptor ballistic missile system.