SUBJECT: TRUTH OF AGNI MISSILE PROGRAMME

                      अग्नि मिसाइल कार्यक्रम की सच्चाई

Hon’ble Sir,

Sir, country thanks to your decision to revamp DRDO, it is requested to weed out all incompetent scientists who are sitting in top management without contributing a single product in national mission

With regards, I would like to bring the truth of AGNI missile programme of India under IGMDP. Some Scientist of DRDO who are not involved in key role the said project are making fake claims in media and interacting with media unauthorized manner violating conduct rules. DRDO is having its Directorate of Public Interface (DPI) and Shri Ravi Kumar Gupta, Director, Directorate of Public Interface is the only authorized officer in DRDO to issue any press release of DRDO and interaction with media. There is no gazette notification of MOD is available in respect of Sh Ravi Gupta as official spoke person of DRDO,MOD.

You can understand the frustration of senior scientists of DRDO who are facing such kind of discrimination where his contributions have been ignored by Shri Avinash Chander, DGR&D, DRDO, SA to RM and Secretary, DRD and credit of the work has been given to mediocre scientist. These scientist got promotions, appointment as Director, fame in media & public, awards and achieving a good positions in Government establishment based on fake claims, media hype and support of Shri Avinash Chander. It is astonishing facts that how these fake claims of scientist being approved and acknowledged by their Director, DG & Peer Committee constituted for promotion in senior position and appointment as Director.

Shi Avinash Chander has been given enormous administrative and financial power by Government of India and he is holding three posts simultaneously which is totally unjustified. The practice of misuse of power & post for personal gain by SA to RM is not new and DRDO is full of such examples. The appointments of DGR&D, DRDO, SA to RM and Secretary, DRD are politically motivated and real Scientists never get appointments as DRDO Chief.

This case is regarding fake claim in media, creating media hype in her favour by influencing media to write false article on her and award her imaginary titles by Ms. Tessy Thomas, Outstanding Scientist & Scientist ‘H’.

Before mentioning the full facts of the case, I would like to highlight the history of AGNI Missile Programme in brief.

1. Realizing the importance of guided missile weapon systems in the modern warfare, a Special Weapon Development Team (SWDT) was formed in 1958. This team was later expanded into DRDL, a full-fledged laboratory in June 1961 at the campus of Defence Science Centre, Delhi. The laboratory was moved to Hyderabad in Feb’ 1962, from where starts the story of guided missiles in India.
2. In 1972, Project Devil, a medium range Surface-to-Surface Missile was initiated. A large number of infrastructure and test facilities were established during this period. The main facilities established during this period included Aerodynamic, Structural and Environmental test facilities, Liquid and Solid propulsion facilities; fabrication and engineering facilities; Control, Guidance, FRP, Rubber and computer centres, ground and flight instrumentation and on board power supplies development facilities. The development of components / systems for Project Devil formed the technology bricks for the future IGMDP Programme. 1982 onwards DRDL took a quantum jump by taking design and development of various types of missiles systems simultaneously leading them to limited series production under Integrated Guided Missiles Development Programme (IGMDP).Prithvi– a surface to surface missile system, Trishul– a quick reaction short range, surface to air missile system, Nag– a third generation anti-tank missile system and Akash– a medium range, surface to air missile system, besides Agni– a technology demonstrator were taken up under the Programme.
3. In order to meet the growing demands of development, integration, testing and quality assurance, three establishments namely Research Center Imarat (RCI), Composite Products Development Centre (CPDC), and Interim Test Range (ITR) came out under the parenthood of DRDL and a separate qualification agency Missile Systems Quality Assurance Agency (MSQAA) were established during this period. Later these establishments acquired independent status. In the year 1999 another laboratory called ‘Advanced System Laboratory’ was carved out of DRDL to meet the specific requirements of long range systems. This group of laboratories is now called Missile Complex. [DRDL information from DRDO website]
4. APJ Abdul Kalam joined DRDO as Director, DRDL in 1982 and in the year 1983 IGMDP was sanctioned by Smt Indira Gandhi. Under this programme it was decided to develop five missiles with names Agni, Prithvi, Akash, Nag and Trishul. Much prior to joining Dr. Kalam in DRDL, Hyderabad, DRDO was working on R&D of missiles with good infrastructure as stated above.
5. Development Program’ (IGMDP).The IGMDP is one of India’s most successful defence research project, as all the missiles – Prithvi, Akash, Trishul, Nag, Agni – have been successfully tested and inducted by the Indian armed forces.IGMDP team formed a consortium of DRDO laboratories, industries and academic institutions to build these sub-systems, components and materials.
6. The Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) was a Ministry of Defence (India) program for the research and development of a comprehensive range of missiles. The program was managed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Ordnance Factories Board in partnership with other Indian government research organisations. The project started in 1983 and ended in 2008 after these strategic missiles were successfully developed. The last major missile developed under the program was the Agni 3 intermediate-range ballistic missile which was successfully tested on 9 July 2007. On 8 January 2008, the DRDO formally announced the successful completion of the IGMDP.

FATHER OF INDIA’ AGNI MISSILEPROGRAMME – SHRI RAM NARAIN AGARWAL

1. Shri Ram Narain Agarwal, Padam Sri (1990), Padam Bhushan (2000)is eminent missile scientist and an aerospace engineer of India known as “Father of AGNI”series of surface to surface missilesprogramme of India. Even before joining of Dr. Kalam as Director, DRDL in 1982, Shri R. N. Agarwal he was working on technology development for missiles that were later on used in Agni missilesand he was as Head of Aerodynamics Test Facility Group in DRDL, Hyderabad. His group was then engaged in building a supersonic wind tunnel and high-altitude test facility for high-enthalpy tests. Project report on the re-entry test vehicle for re-entry technology and also for setting up the high-altitude test facility was prepared by Shri R.N. Agarwal.[Source: Article: Missile Technology –A success story Volume 22 – Issue 20, Sep. 24 – Oct. 07, 2005]
2. Shri Ram Narain Agarwal has worked as Program Director (AGNI) since 1983 to 2005 and as Director Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Hyderabad. DRDO, Agni missile project Chief Shri R.N. Agarwal retires after 22 years working as Programme Director of Agni Project on 31 July 2005. He was recipient of DRDO’s Lifetime Achievement Award “for pioneering the development and establishment of long-range missiles systems” in the year 2004. He was fondly called as `Agni’ Agarwal’ in India’s missile circles. He has been involved from day one in this most ambitious missile project Agni, which gets international attention every time a new development is announced.The importance of Shri R.N. Agarwal in Agni  Programme can be analysed as even after eligibility & seniority for Chief Controller at DRDO HQ , Ministry of Defence did not shifted him to DRDO HQ from ASL, Hyderabad. His was name was considered for SA to RM but despite being Programme Director and having seniority, his junior Shri M. Natrajan piped him and Shri M. Natrajan was  appointed as SA to RM in the year 2004. This creates lot of frustration in missile scientist of DRDO.
3. Shri R.N. Agarwal hails from Jaipur, Rajasthan, where he had his early education. After graduation, he joined the Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) at Chromepet, Chennai, for his post-graduate course in Aeronautical Engineering. After passing out from MIT, he completed his Master of Engineering in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He has won several awards. They include Padma Sri (1990) and Padma Bhushan (2000); the Dr. Biren Roy Space Science Award (1990); the DRDO Technology Leadership Award (1998); the Chandrasekhara Saraswati National Eminence Award for Science (2000) and theDRDO Lifetime Achievement Award (2004).
4. In July 1983, when Indira Gandhi launched the IGMDP, Shri Agarwal wasappointed as Project Director for Agni. Within six years, the Agni-Technology Demonstrator project team was ready with the missile for its maiden flight. But the flight had to be postponed twice – first on April 20, 1989, and then on May 1, 1989. The missile finally soared into the sky from the Interim Test Range at Chandipur-on-Sea, near Balasore, Orissa, on May 22, 1989. The country had looked forward to the launch of this intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).
5. Shri R. N. Agarwal, former Director, Advanced System Laboratory and former Program Director of Agni missile was considered to be the real architect behind the successful design of Agni Missile. Kalam himself credited in his autobiography “Wings of Fire” (अग्निकी उड़ान) the development of Agni missile to Shri Ram Narayan Agarwal, an alumnus of MIT.DRDO’s, Agni missile project Chief R.N. Agarwal retires on 31 July 2005 after his contribution in Agni from 1983-2005 for 22 years.
6. The controversy that surrounds Kalam’s role as “Missile Man” and in 2008, Indian media questioned his claims over his inventions such as missiles, while working in a classified missile programme. Kalam took the credit of inventing the Agni, Prithvi, and Aakash missile system. All of these were developed, researched and designed by other scientists whereas Kalam was involved in getting the funds and other logistic tasks. As a director of DRDL, Kalam named all these missiles and got all the fame. Shri R. N. Agarwal, former Director, Advanced System Laboratory and former Program Director of Agni missile was considered to be the real architect behind the successful design of Agni Missile.

      However, Kalam  in his own Biography “wings of Fire”, Dr.Kalam has given the credit of “Agni” development to Shri Ram Narayan Agarwal. For the Prithvi Missile project he has named Col VJ Sundaram as the brain behind this project, for Trishul Missile he gave the credit to Cmdr SR Mohan.

7. Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) was established in the year 2001 as a consequence of restructuring of the missile laboratories and the missile programs. Advanced Systems Laboratory is responsible for design, development and induction of long range ‘AGNI’ ballistic missiles and development of associated technologies and facilities. Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) does research and development on motors, jet vanes and structures for launch vehicles and missiles and Solid Propellant (missile fuel) in Agni Missiles was developed at High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune of DRDO.
8. The three AGNI re-entry technology demonstrators developed and test fired during 1985 to 1992 gave the impetus to design, develop and induct a series of long range missile systems of AGNI class(A1, A2, A3). AGNI I & AGNI II have completed the development flights and are being inducted in the Services. The long range AGNI III is under development and the hardware is under qualification for the first development flight In addition to the AGNI program, ASL is working on many other Technology Development (TD), Mission Mode (MM) and infrastructure projects for LCA and other systems. There are about 240 Scientists & Officers and 250 Staff working in the LabVarious DRDO Lab/Estt and about 40 public sector and private sector are involved with ASL in development of AGNI series of missiles. The percentage of indigenous parts used in missiles of Agni series is still not known to anybody.
9. After retirement of Shri R.N. Agarwal, as Director, ASL on 31 July 2005, Shri Avinash Chander was appointed as Director, ASL. In the June 2011 Dr. V.G. Sekaran was appointed as Director of ASL.He served as Director, ASL from June 2011 to June 2013. Shri K. Jayaraman was Director, ASL from 13 June 2013 to 30 June 2014.Shri Avinash Chander was appointed as CCR&D(MSS) in 2011 and he was Programme Director of Agni till 31 May 2013. Later on Dr. VG Sekaran was appointed as CCR&D (MSS) in June 2013 and he is Programme Director of Agni. V G Sekaran has taken over as Director General – Missiles and Strategic Systems (MSS)with effect from 02 Sep 2013.
10. The first successful test flight took place on May 22, 1989, when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister. The ASL is focussed on re-entry technology, carbon composites, CNT and Agni.The Agni-I, Agni-II and Agni-III missiles were developed under the IGMDP. (The DRDO formally announced the successful completion of the IGMDP after the third test of Agni-III on 7 May 2008.Agni III is a product of the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Hyderabad, which is a unit of DRDO. The Project Director was Dr. V.G. Sekaran and ASL Director Avinash Chander was the Programme Director of this mission.AGNI-IV
11. India Launches new Generation Strategic missile AGNI-IV on15 November 2011. It is a two-stage missile powered by solid propellant. It is 20 meters tall and has a launch weight of 17 tonnes. Ms Tessy Thomas was Project Director (Mission) for Agni- IV. Successful flight testing of AGNI-IVwas carried out by DRDO on19 September 2012.Ms Tessy Thomas was Project Director of Agni-IV.INDIA Successfully test fires AGNI-IV on20th January 2014. Ms Tessy Thomas was Project Director of AGNI-IV.[Press release of PIB & DRDO is enclosed].AGNI-V
12. A new missile Agni-V with 5,000 km range and MIRV is being developed and was tested on19 April 2012. Agni-V shares the similar design as Agni-III with an extra stage added to further increase the range by 1500 km.First test launch of Agni-V was successfully done on 19 April 2012. Dr. R.K. Gupta was Project Director for AGNI-V. The second test launch of AGNI-V was successfully done on 15 September 2013 at 08:43 am IST from Wheeler Island off the Orissa coast. Dr. R.K. Gupta, Outstanding Scientist is Project Director of AGNI-V. The next test launch of Agni-V missile scheduled to be carried out in 2014 is to be of canisterized version.[Press release of DRDO is enclosed].
13. R.K. Gupta, Scientist ‘H’ & Outstanding Scientist was Project Director of AGNI –V in the year 2012 and 2013 at time of both the successful launch of AGNI-V on 19 April 2012 and 15 September 2013 and Ms. Tessy Thomas was not project Director of AGNI-V but Ms. Tessy Thomas told to media that she was Project Director of Agni V and media make a fake hype in favour of Ms. Tessy Thomas with motivated interest and gave her fake titles like Missile Woman & Agniputri. Ms Tessy Thomas is Project Director of AGNI-V.
14. Labs, Public Sector and Private Sector involved in Agni Programme
15.  Development of the anti-ballistic missile system Agni began in 1999. Around 40 public and private companies were involved in the development of the systems. They include Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Ltd, Astra Microwave, ASL, Larsen & Toubro, Vem Technologies Private Limited and KelTech. Development of the LRTR and MFCR (Multi-function Fire Control Radar) was led by Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE). Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) – Manufactures the missile and also has an associated R&D lab. Solid propellant used in Agni V is solid HTPB, which has been developed by HEMRL. Besides DRDO Labs DRDL, RCI, VRDE, LRDE, HEMRL, ITR & TBRL are involved in development of missiles under AGNI Programme.
16. Dr (Ms) Tessy Thomas, Outstanding Scientist/Scientist ‘H’ was appointed as Director, ASL, Hyderabad wef 25 July 2014. The competent authority has approved the appointment of Dr (Ms) Tessy Thomas, Outstanding Scientist/ Sc ‘H’ as Director, ASL, Hyderabad with immediate effect. Date of Order is 25 Jul 2014.
17. On 13 June 2013, Shri K. Jayaraman, a senior scientist, who was instrumental in the development of home-grown CRMC (Composite Rocket Motor Casing) technology for strategic systems, took over as the new director of Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL).
18. INFLUENCE AND CONTACTS WITH MEDIA BY MS TESSY THOMAS
19.  After first launch of AGNI-V on 19 April 2012, The Indian Express published an article “In its moment of celebration, DRDO leaves out ‘Agni putri’“. Copy Enclosed. This news published on website of Indian Express at 23:41 hrs on 19 April 2012. The said article was having objections on DRDO Press Release dated 19 April 2012 in which Ms Tessy Thomas name was missing. Regarding this query Shri Ravi Kumar Gupta, director of public interface, DRDO, New Delhi, said Tessy Thomas was the director for Agni-IV. “Dr R K Gupta is the project director of Agni-V and Avinash Chander is the overall programme director,’’ he said. When asked why her name was left out, Gupta did not comment. When contacted, Agni Programme Director Chander said: “Tessy Thomas played a major role in the success of Agni-V. She was in charge of mission design and guidance systems and she was there all through. She was and still is the project director of Agni-IV but Dr R K Gupta is the project director of Agni-V. She was there at the launch today and she is a part of the team”.It establishes that Ms. Tessy Thomas influenced the media for publishing fake claims in her favour while she was not Project Director of AGNI-V but still she wants the credit of AGNI-V.
20. Dr V.G. Sekaran, Distinguished Scientist and Director, Advanced Systems Laboratory has been appointed as Chief Controller R&D (Missiles & Strategic Systems) and Programme Director, AGNI w.e.f. 03 June 2013. He was appointed as DG (MSS) wef 02 September 2013.

DRDL, RCI and ASL are working on R&D of Missiles in DRDO. Tessy Thomas is junior most Scientist out of all Outstanding Scientists posted in three labs of DRDO viz DRDL, RCI and ASL of DRDO. Shri K. Jayaraman was transferred from post of Director, ASL to Director, DRDL to create a vacancy of Director, ASL while such kind of practice never took place in ASL or any other Lab/Estt. of DRDO. Ignoring ten senior and more eligible Scientist then Tessy Thomas, why Shri Avinash Chander appointed Ms. Tessy Thomas as Director, ASL? Is it another story of nepotism by Shri Avinash Chander, the Guru-Shisya story of DRDO in Guru paid shisya dakhina?

Ms. Tessy Thomas worked with Avinash Chander on Guidance Systems in DRDL and ASL, Hyderabad. In media Shri Avinash Chander told that Ms Tessy Thomas is my pupil and Ms. Tessy Thomas told to media that she is student of Shri Avinash Chander. It appears that Guru Avinash Chander gave his blessings to her student Tessy Thomas by recruitment of her husband as Scientist ‘G’ and appointment of her husband Mr. S.K. Patel asDirector, QRS and appointed her as Director ASL ignoring contributions & seniority of several senior Scientists of DRDO.

FAKE CLAIMS BY MS. TESSY THOMAS- THE AGNIPUTRI & MISSILE WOMAN

• She claimed herself as Project Directorof AGNI-V two times in 2012 & 2013 – In fact Programme Director of AGNI-V was Dr. R.K. Gupta not Tessy Thomas. She is Project Director of AGNI-IV.
• Went in media when her name was not in Press Release of DRDO dated 19 April 2012 for AGNI-V. [Indian Express- 19 April 2012]
• Try to associate herself with Dr. Kalam by calling him as Guru but on other hand she accepted that she is student of Shri Avinash Chander. Dr. Kalam worked in DRDL, Hyderabad as Director from 1982 to 1992. Ms Tessy Thomas joined DRDL in 1988 and she was posted with Shri Avinash Chander.
• SolidPropellantsused in AGNI –V were developed by HEMRL, Pune but she claimed in media that she developed Solid Propellants for AGNI-V.
• Managed Media to give title “AGNIPUTRI’ and ‘MISSILE WOMAN’,

Sir, it is requested kindly encourage and protect the whistle blowers of DRDO, because the DRDO top management doing their best to harass the honest scientists who are raising their voice against corruption like –

Sh. D. Muthuraja, Scientist ‘E’ from R&D Eng, Pune transferred to Nasik for just harass him and he is sitting their without work. He raised voice against Sh Guru Prasad, Director R&D Eng, Pune for diverting government funds and man power to making Silver Rath for temple.

Now the honorable MP Sh Hemant Tukaram Godse, Nashik & Dr. Dharam Vira Gandhi, Patiala  asked questions regarding the Silver Rath adventure of Sh Guru Prasad, Director R&D Eng, DRDO

Sh Naveen Prakash Gupta, Scientist ‘C’, DMSRDE, Kanpur also raised corruption various corruption issues of Dr. A K Saxena, Director, DMSRDE. There are many cases of corruption allegations with documentary evidences are pending against Dr. A K Saxena. Sh Avinash Chander, Ex SA to RM also made to fact finding committees but only GOD knows what happened to facts finding of two committees. The DRDO top management specially the DOP, Dr A K Singh, is trying to his best to harass Sh Naveen Prakash Gupta by misinterpreting government rules. Sh Naveen Prakash Gupta is also transferred to Defence Lab, Tezpur a life science lab where there is no work for Sh Naveen Prakash Gupta as he is computer science background.

Dr. Gausal Khan, Scientist ‘D’ is a victim of Dr Shashi Bala Singh, Director, DIPAS and sister of Dr A K Singh, DOP, both duo harassing Dr Khan vindictively and now Dr Khan who came from USA to serve the country was again thinking to go back to USA, because now his 24 hrs utilizing to manage the court/Minority commission/police etc.

There are still lot of manipulations are going on in the name of consultancy, contracts, chairs, fellowship, IDST etc. DRDO is exploiting the technical manpower in the name of contract and other hand recruiting their incompetent, ineligible wards from their own recruitment center RAC/CEPTAM without any fear.

Regards

Prabhu Dandriyal,
21-Sunderwala, Raipur, Dehradun -248008
0135- 2787750, 9411114879,
prabhudoon@gmail.com www.corruptionindrdo.com