by Pranav Kulkarni | New Delhi | Published on:April 1, 2015 1:49 am – The Indian Express
Two months after it sacked Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Avinash Chander, the government has denied extension to a top DRDO scientist. Bikash Bhattacharya, who was on his first extension as the director of Pune-based High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), retired Tuesday. Besides him, the government in the past six months has denied extension to at least three top DRDO scientists.
While Chander was sacked unceremoniously citing the need for appointing younger scientists, the Modi government has on several platforms made public its intentions to streamline DRDO.
Sources in DRDO said the HEMRL director’s extension was recommended by Chander and was considered by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC). It was, however, rejected by the government “about 10 days ago”. Bhattacharya was formerly associated with ISRO.
Bhattacharya, 62, who took over as director, HEMRL on September 11, 2011 was already on one extension after he completed 60 years on March 23, 2013. As per DRDO’s existing promotion policy, two extensions are permitted for a tenure of two years after the scientist completes 60 years, the retirement age.
Bhattacharya is the fourth scientist to have been denied extension by the Modi government in the past six months. Others who were denied extension are directors of Defence Research & Development Establishment (DRDE), Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL) and Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) — M P Kaushik, V C Padaki and Venkatnarayana Raju, respectively.
The denial of extensions by the Modi government has reversed the trend of the UPA government which was criticised for making extensions a “norm” instead of an “exception”. In 2012 for instance, 11 top scientists were on extension at various laboratories across the country.
Tag Archives: 2015
डीआरडीओ के ‘नकली’ वैज्ञानिक
जितेन्द्र चतुर्वेदी – यथावत पत्रिका 1-15 अप्रैल 2015
Manohar Parrikar tells DRDO to focues on core areas; says not to take up new projects
By Manu Pubby, ET Bureau | 26 Mar, 2015, 04.52AM IST
NEW DELHI: Most of the military systems it develops face time delays and cost escalation but ironically the one thing that the Defence Research and Development Organisation is considered good at by the armed forces – constructing buildings and executing civil works – is now being taken away.
Sending a clear message to India’s premier defence research agency to focus on its core functions, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has instructed that the organisation will no longer undertake civil and maintenance works of other departments, including entities like the Brahmos Missile Company and the Strategic Forces Command besides the three armed forces.
In a terse set of instructions to DRDO headquarters, Parrikar has ordered that the organisation shall no longer undertake any new civil or maintenance works projects with effect from March 12, choking a large portion of its independent revenue stream.
It is a lesser known facet of the organisation but DRDO has a works department that executes construction projects – from office buildings to missile storage units, launching areas and accommodation – worth over Rs 5,000 crore every year.
Beside projects for armed forces, DRDO has recently constructed the new AICTE headquarters in Delhi.
Section 66(A) Scrapped: Meet Shreya Singhal, Petitioner Who Fought for Net Freedom
Salute to Shreya Singhal – www.corruptionindrdo.com
All India | Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Updated: March 24, 2015 14:22 IST
http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/section-66-a-scrapped-meet-shreya-singhal-petitioner-who-fought-for-net-freedom/360955
NEW DELHI: The end of Section 66A, the controversial law that allowed arrests for offensive content online, marks a big victory for Shreya Singhal, the young law student who was among the first to challenge it in the Supreme Court.
“I am ecstatic. It was grossly offensive to our rights, our freedom of speech and expression and today the Supreme Court has upheld that,” Shreya told NDTV moments after the court scrapped the law, agreeing that it is unconstitutional and violates the rights of citizens.
“Nobody should have fear of putting up something because of the fear of going to prison. The court has upheld the rights of all citizens today,” she added.
Shreya comes from a family of lawyers; her mother is a Supreme Court lawyer and her grandmother was a judge.
She was 21 when she filed a petition in 2012, after two young women were arrested for posting comments critical of the total shutdown in Mumbai after the death of Bal Thackeray, the Shiv Sena chief.
Shreya says her family encouraged her. “I am also a law student so through my studies also I knew that you can approach the Supreme Court directly,” she said, aware that she has achieved, even before becoming a lawyer, what many veterans in the profession haven’t.
She spent three years studying astrophysics in the UK before returning to India to apply to law schools. Her attention was drawn to several high-profile arrests of people under Section 66A.
“It is being misused by BJP governments, Congress governments… all over the country. Even when the Congress was in power, it was being misused. Governments have their own political agenda; a law has to be for the people,” Shreya said.
The court today had strong words in support of that sentiment as it said, “Governments come and go. We can’t act on assurance that Section 66A will not be misused.”
PMO to replace existing public web-interface with new portal ‘PRAGATI’
By Rajesh Ramachandran, ET Bureau | 24 Mar, 2015, 10.20AM IST
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a brand new website for public grievances on Wednesday. Corruption in central government seems to be the top concern as the PMO replaces the existing public web-interface for the prime minister with ‘PRAGATI’, the new portal. The portal is getting launched along with the PM’s monthly programme of interaction with union secretaries and chief secretaries through video-conferencing.
While the Manmohan Singh-era public grievances portal, “PMO CPGRAMS”, had a category on “corruption/malpractice”, the new one will go beyond the simple label. The corruption category will have nine sub-categories on its drop-down menu just to register complaints of corruption within various government departments.
The departments listed under the category of corruption are telecom, railways, department of financial services, ministry of power, petroleum, heavy industries, urban development, road transport, rural development and others. This could even be treated as a list of departments with the highest potential for corruption.
By categorising and sub-categorising themes and departments, the new portal will help users to be more specific in their complaints.
For instance, harassment is further sub-categorised into minorities, SC/ST, backward class, women, children, differently-abled and others. Also, the theme ‘police’ would have separate sub-categories for corruption, atrocities and inaction of police along with reguregular policing issues like murder and rape.
The new architecture has the back-end bureaucratic and technological support to ensure that these grievances are addressed and pursued to their logical conclusion.
All the issues flagged by the PMO will be uploaded a week ahead of the “PRAGATI day”, which will be the third Wednesday of every month. Union secretaries and chief secretaries will have to offer their comments and updates about the issues by the Monday prior to the PRAGATI day.
Finally, the PM will get to look at the issues addressed by the relevant departments and then discuss them with the concerned secretary or the chief secretary through video conferencing on the third Wednesday of every month. PM’s directions on every issue will remain in the system for further follow up and review till the issue is closed.
The portal is thus designed to keep every complainant engaged with the government machinery at the highest level and to ensure systemic corrections through the redressal of the complaints.
DRDO’s Good days are coming
DRDO’s Good days are coming – Dadagiri of DRDO scientists who are looking administration & HR of DRDO and passage of time they piled up hundreds of court cases and created lot of grievances and frustration among honest devoted officials. The incompetency of handling administrative, HR, recruitment and promotion matters one of the major reason of unproductiveness of DRDO.
The following answer given by Sh Manohar Parrikar in Rajya Sabha giving us some hope of Good are coming
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
RAJYA SABHA
QUESTION NO 2119 ANSWERED ON 17.03.2015
Overhauling of the DRDO and DPSUs
2119 Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to satate :-
(a) whether Government plans to overhaul the functioning of the DRDO and the Defence PSUs in order to realise Make in India programme targets for the defence sector; and
(b) if so, the detailed plan and roadmap for the same?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF DEFENCE
(SHRI MANOHAR PARRIKAR)
(a) & (b): The functioning of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) was reviewed by a Committee headed by Prof. P. Rama Rao. DRDO has accepted several recommendations which inter-alia include creation of Seven Technology Domain based Clusters headed by Director’s General; Restructuring of DRDO HQrs; Creation of Directorate of Quality, Reliability and Safety (QR&S); increase in budget for Extramural Research; creation of empowered Defence Technology Commission (DTC); creation of a Commercial Arm of DRDO; creation of 5 Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) posts along with 162 other posts for full scale implementation of Integrated Financial Advisor (IFA) Scheme etc.
Recently, a review of all DRDO Projects along with the three Services, OFB and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) has been carried out so as to realign the focus towards the “Make in India” Programme. Also, more than 1000 small, medium and large Indian industries have been involved in the development and productionisation of products for the delivery to the Services.
With the objective of achieving self-reliance in defence production, the DPSUs have been continuously modernizing and upgrading their capabilities and widening their product range. Some of the DPSUs have also collaborated with DRDO and other R&D institutions in this regard. There is also increasing emphasis on partnerships of DPSUs with the private sector for sourcing various components so that DPSUs can play the role of system integrators and become more competitive.
न्यूज 24 एक्सक्लूसिव: मोदी को शिकायत करना इस वैज्ञानिक को पड़ा महंगा on March 20, 2015 8:08 pm
संजीव त्रिवेदी, नई दिल्ली (20 मार्च): प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी अपने मन की बात कार्यक्रम में पूरे देश से अपील करते हैं कि उन्हें सुझाव भेजिए। बताइए कि कैसे देश का भला किया जा सकता है। ऐसे में एक वैज्ञानिक सीधे प्रधानमंत्री दफ्तर को अपना सुझाव और शिकायत भेजते हैं। इस उम्मीद के साथ कि सरकार सुझाव के बारे में और जानकारी मांगेगी, शिकायत की जांच करेगी। लेकिन हुआ क्या। इसके आगे का पूरा सच आप जानेंगे तो कहीं आपका विश्वास सरकारी महकमों में सबसे ऊपर प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय के काम करने के तरीके से ना उठ जाए।
28 सितंबर 2014 यही वो तारीख थी, जब वैज्ञानिक पशुपति राव ने सीधे प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय की वेबसाइट पर एक सुझाव शिकायत के साथ दर्ज कराई। जिसमें उन्होंने कोटा में नेशनल फ्यूल कॉम्प्लेक्स का सेंटर बनाने में हुई गड़बड़ियों का जिक्र किया। वैज्ञानिक पशुपतिराव ने प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय को बताया कि बाहर से एक्सपर्ट को अनुबंधित करने के नाम पर रिटायर्ड अफसरों को ही चुन लिया गया। 5 करोड़ का बजट बनाकर 16 लाख में काम पूरा किया गया। जबकि इतना पैसा खर्च करने की भी जरूरत नहीं थी क्योंकि सक्षम अफसरों के गैरवाजिब पदों पर बैठाकर संस्थान उनका इस्तेमाल नहीं कर रहा।
आप सोच रहे होंगे कि जब प्रधानमंत्री खुद देश के हित में जनता की भागीदारी चाहते हैं तो जरूर उन्होंने वैज्ञानिक पशुपतिराव के सुझाव और शिकायत पर जरूरी कदम उठाए होंगे। लेकिन इसके आगे क्या हुआ। आप जानकर चौंक जाएंगे। जो सुझाव और शिकायतें वैज्ञानिक पशुपतिराव ने प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय को भेजी थीं। उनकी जांच कराने की जगह PMO ने उन्हीं के पास भेज दिया, जिनकी शिकायत की गई थी। इसके बाद वैज्ञानिक के विभाग में हंगामा मच गया। शिकायत करने वाले पशुपति राव को ही विभाग ने चिट्ठी दे दी। जिसमें लिखा गया आपको जो काम मिला है। उस पर ध्यान दीजिए। आपने स्टाफ की शिकायत की है। आगे भी सवाल जवाब होंगे।
हालांकि पशुपति राव के बारे में जब उनके विभाग से न्यूज 24 ने सवाल पूछा तो दावा किया गया कि कोई एक्शन नहीं लिया जाएगा। लेकिन सच पशुपति राव को मिली ये वो चिट्ठी भी है, जो न्यूज 24 के पास है, जिसमें साफ साफ लिखा है कि आप अपने काम पर ध्यान दें। प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय के कामकाज को संभाल चुके राज्य मंत्री रहे नारायण सामी बताते हैं कि मोदी के ऑफिस की तरफ से बड़ी गलती हुई है जबकि मौजूदा मंत्री को तो पूरे मामले की खबर तक नहीं।
प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय एक शिकायत को जांच करने की जगह उसी अफसर के पास भेज देता है जिसकी शिकायत की गई है और पीएमओ का कामकाज देखने वाले मंत्री कहते हैं कि जानकारी नहीं है। संभव है कि वो मामले को टालना चाहते हैं क्योंकि पशुपति राव के मामले में जो लापरवाही प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय ने बरती है उसे लेकर सूचना के सिपाही प्रभु डॉड्रियाल ने पीएमओ में एक आरटीआई लगाई और इस आरटीआई का जवाब अब तक मोदी का कार्यालय तलाश ही रहा है। क्योंकि यही बताया गया है कि आपके सवाल का जवाब ढूंढने की प्रकिया जारी है।
प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय ने अपने विभाग से जुड़ी शिकायत करने वाले वैज्ञानिक पशुपति राव की पहचान जाहिर की तो अब तक उन्हें सिर्फ कुछ हिदायती चिट्ठी और आगे सवाल जवाब के लिए तैयार रहने के लिए कहा गया है। लेकिन पीएमओ से हुई इस चूक ने याद दिलाई है 12 साल पहले प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय से हुई बड़ी लापरवाही को। 12 साल पहले सत्येंद्र दुबे नाम के ईमानदार अफसर ने अपने विभाग में भ्रष्टाचार की सच्चाई प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय तक पहुंचाई तो उसके बदले मौत दे दी गई।
सत्येंद्र दुबे नेशनल हाइवे अथॉरिटी में प्रोजेक्ट डायरेक्टर के पद पर थे। उन्होंने अपने विभाग में हो रहे भ्रष्टाचार का पूरा सच चिट्ठी में लिखकर प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय के भेजा था। सत्येंद्र दुबे ने गुजारिश की थी कि उनका नाम जाहिर ना किया जाए। लेकिन तब पीएमओ ने सत्येंद्र दुबे के नाम के साथ उस चिट्ठी को कई विभागों को जारी किया था और फिर 27 नवंबर 2003 को सत्येंद्र दुबे की हत्या कर दी गई थी। 12 साल बाद पीएमओ ने फिर एक लापरवही की। गनीमत है कि इस बार सिर्फ शिकायतकर्ता को विभाग की तरफ से सवाल जवाब का ही सामना करना पड़ रहा है। लेकिन ये एक चेतावनी की घंटी है। क्योंकि अब पीएमओ ने ऐसी लापरवाही बरती तो जनता का वो भरोसा चूर चूर हो जाएगा, जो प्रधानमंत्री देते हैं।
RTI- Nuclear Fuel Complex, Hyderabad – PMO portal case
To Date 15th March 2015
Shri S. Goverdhan Rao, CPIO & Dy. Chief Executive (Administration), Nuclear Fuel Complex, Department of Atomic Energy Government of India, Hyderabad – 500 062.
Hello,
Kindly provide me with the following information requested under the purview of the Right to Information Act, 2005 in respect of NFC s Response to the Misleading report carried by Economic Times on 13.3.2015, posted on http://www.nfc.gov.in/ in reference of following points.
Point No 7. Against NFC s advertisements for hiring external professionals for the Project Management Consultancy jobs offers were received from outside and retired Officers of NFC. After evaluation, four retired Officers were selected and awarded the Consultancy contract for review Engineering documents and drawings prepared by Detailed Engineering Consultants i.e., M/s. Engineering India Limited.
Point No 8. While sanction for Project Management Consultancy at an estimated cost of Rs. 5 Crores was available, NFC managed to get the work done by spending only Rs. 16.15 lakhs by engaging retired Officers as Consultants, which NFC saved huge amount and considerable time in the process.
Point No 9. Shri Pasupathi Rao was informed of the factual position.
- Provide the total number of job offer other than retired officer from NFC, their names and qualification, experience which they have submitted with said offer.
- Name board members and name of chairman who selected four retired officer.
- Whether any of these four retired officer involved in planning or any means with Green Field Project at Kota earlier when they were in NFC.
- Provide the copy of justification given for budgeting estimated cost of Rs 5 crores in the name of Project Management Consultancy for Green Field Project at Kota.
- The total amount as salary, as transport allowances, medical allowances, TA/DA, communication bills and any other payments was given to these four retired officer as consultant of above said project up to 28th Feb 2015.
- The copy of information given to the factual position to Shri Pasupathi Rao as stated in point no 9 of NFC response.
Regards
Prabhu Dandriyal,
21-Sunderwala, Raipur,
Phone 0135- 2787750, Mobile- 9411114879,
e-mail id prabhudoon@gmail.com website www.corruptionindrdo.com
Registration Number DOATE/R/2015/60170
Nuclear scientist lands in trouble with DAE for sending suggestions to PM Narendra Modi
By ET Bureau | 13 Mar, 2015, 04.00AM IST
By Manu Pubby
NEW DELHI: He wrote to the prime minister, tried to do good for a critical national project, and now he’s in trouble. One of India’s senior nuclear scientists, Pashupati Rao, who works at Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), run by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is now battling his employer for having written to the prime minister offering suggestions on streamlining the setting up of a new nuclear facility at Kota, Rajasthan. DAE comes under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
ET has reviewed the relevant correspondence between the PMO, DAE and the scientist. The PMO didn’t respond to ET’s queries on this matter. Rao did not participate in this story. DAE responded to ET’s questions.
On September 28, 2014, Rao sent his suggestions to PM’s official portal (pmindia. gov.in), which invites citizens to share ideas as well as to write to the Prime Minister.
But although Rao had communicated sensitive matters on the new nuclear complex, the PMO had sent them to Rao’s employer, DAE, marking them as ‘grievance’, and it sent a mail to Rao on January 21 this year, saying his ‘grievance’ has been disposed.
The PMO’s communication to Rao’s employers had also given the name and designation of the scientist, thus making his full identity known to his superiors. This started a process of DAE relentlessly asking for explanations from the scientist and the latter desperately seeking to explain himself. Some DAE officials who did not want to be identified told ET that Rao may face serious consequences.
Prominent whistleblower Prabhu Dandriyal, who some years ago had claimed to have exposed corruption in Defence Research & Development Organisation, filed a Right to Information application on January 27 this year with the PMO on Rao’s matter.
Dandriyal had asked what guidelines the PMO follows when dealing with ‘sensitive’ communication from government officials. He said the PMO reply that came a month later, on February 27, said the request is being processed, and details are being collected. Rao’s suggestions sent to the prime minister on the Kota project contained, apart from technical details on cutting costs, a proposal that an independent team be appointed to review the project.
BUREAUCRATIC NIGHTMARE
But the PMO sending his suggestions as ‘grievance’ to DAE has put the top nuclear scientist in a bureaucratic nightmare.
The PMO’s communications were sent to NFC, Hyderabad, where Rao worked, and his superiors have turned the matter into staff grievance’ and have been seeking explanations from Rao. In a series of communications, Rao tried to explain that he did not have any personal grievance.
“I am a successful officer and I have been awarded with DAE group achievement award for indigenisation associated work. My feedback given to the PMO which is converted as my grievance is not aimed at any individual,” the scientist wrote in one of his attempts to explain himself. However, DAE has not relented and on February 10, Rao received a letter from the Grievance Redressal Committee that reminded him his job was limited to helping in the maintenance of NFC.
“As an organisation, we will follow the process. As he is a staff member, it is being treated as a staff grievance and is being looked into,” S Goverdhan Rao, deputy chief executive of NFC, told ET.
Dandriyal, who’s still awaiting a full reply from PMO, said, “It will be very difficult for people from the system to come out and expose corruption and inefficiency if there is no mechanism to protect them.”
Parliament Question No 789 Regarding DRDO Projects
Dear friends please go through the parliament question 789 asked by Hon Shri Nishikant Dubey and others regarding DRDO projects. Our Hon Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar answered the question as a same way like Ex defence Minister Sh A K Anthony because both only read the paper supplied by Dr. J.P. Singh, Scientist ‘G’ Director of Parliamentary Affairs. As a matter of fact Dr. J.P. Sigh is highly qualified scientist of DRDO with M.Sc. (Physics), MLISC and Ph.D. but since several years he is posted at DRDO HQ and looking after Parliamentary Affairs in DRDO. Dr. J.P. Singh was promoted as Scientist ‘G’ wef 01 July 2012 and having seniority no. 346 among all Scientist ‘G’ of DRDO as seniority roll as on November 2013, still by superseding all his seniors he was appointed as Director, Dte of Parliamentary Affairs , DRDO HQ with blessings of his God Father.
You all be happy to see the answer same old story repeating since last 15 years friends we have great hope from Shri Manohar Parrikar because he is IIT’ans but without investigating the answer supplied by Dr. J.P. Sigh he state read same way like Sh A K Anthony.
It is requested that to our Defence Minister please see the answers earlier given by Sh A K Anthony on same matter. Also request don’t believe the reply given by Dr. J.P. Sigh some time he also not know the real facts, he only does galvanizing the inputs. We want to see the difference between technical qualified politician with other one. It will the great loss for our country if DRDO incompetent scientists are able to bluff the technical sound person like Parrikar ji.
ANSWERED ON 27.02.2015
DRDO PROJECTS
789 . Dubey Shri Nishikant
Innocent Shri Senguttuvan, Shri BalasubramaniamKumar, Shri Kunwar Sarvesh
Shri Sultan Ahmed Ramachandran Shri Krishnan Narayanasamy
Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:-
(a) whether several projects of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) are lagging behind schedule and if so, the details thereof and the reasons for delay in completion of these projects, project-wise;
(b) the details of funds required, budget allocated, released and utilized by the DRDO for the purpose during each of the last three years and the current year, project-wise;
(c) the steps taken / being taken by the Government for completion of such projects;
(d) whether DRDO proposes to open Centre of Excellence in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) whether the Government proposes to change the policy relating to the appointment of scientists in DRDO to meet the shortage if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF DEFENCE (SHRI MANOHAR PARRIKAR)
(a) & (b): Project-wise details regarding original and revised date of completion, sanctioned cost, expenditure made during last three years and current year along with reasons for delay in completion of major ongoing projects of DRDO is attached at Annexure `A`.
(c): The following corrective/remedial measures have been taken/being taken to complete ongoing projects in-time.
# Consortium approach is being used for design, development and fabrication of critical components
# Three-tier project monitoring approach has been instituted in the major projects.
# Project Monitoring Review Committee (PMRC) and Project Appraisal and Review Committee (PARC) meetings are held regularly to monitor the progress of ongoing projects.
# Concurrent engineering approach has been adopted in technology intensive projects to minimize time-lag between development and productionisation of the systems.
# Information Technology and modern management techniques are being applied.
# Encouraging joint funding by users to ensure their commitment towards earliest completion.
# Promoting synergy and better co-ordination among User Services, DRDO and production agencies through cluster meetings.
(d) Yes, Madam. DRDO has already established seven Centers of Excellence in various disciplines and taken initiative to establish the following four more Centers in the areas of interest to defence.
# Bi-nodal Center of Propulsion Technologies (CoPT) at IIT, Bombay.
# Jagdish Chandra Bose Center for Advanced Technology (JCBCAT) at Jadavpur University, Kolkata.
# Joint Advanced Technology Center (JATC) at IIT, Delhi.
# Center for Advanced Materials & Electromagnetics (CAMEL) at IIT, Jodhpur.
(e) No, Madam. The present policy relating to appointment of scientists in DRDO is functioning effectively. However, there is shortage of scientists in DRDO as there has been no increase of scientific manpower since 2001 while a number of projects have grown multifold in terms of size and technological complexity over the past fifteen years. DRDO has initiated a Cabinet Note for augmentation of manpower by 1316 posts (1260 scientists and 56 works cadre Officers). These are proposed to be filled in phased manner in three recruitment years.
Annexure