Tag Archives: IST

Race for DRDO top spot in its final lap

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi| Updated: May 26, 2015 00:59 IST
Radar specialist S Christopher has emerged as the frontrunner to take over as the next chief of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Christopher heads the Bengaluru-based Centre for Airborne Systems and heads the project to develop airborne early warning and control systems.

The post has been vacant since January 31 when the government terminated then chief Avinash Chander’s contract.

G Satheesh Reddy, who heads the Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imarat, and Anil Datar, chief of Pune-based Armament and Combat Engineering cluster, were also in the running. The government will appoint a scientific advisor to the defence minister after the DRDO vacancy is taken care. Both roles were being essayed by the DRDO chief so far.

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Above news publish on 26th May 2015  00:59 IST

Simultaneously  Following PIB release 26-May-2015 10:37 IST

ACC Appointment

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the assignment of additional charge of the post of Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development to Shri G. Mohan Kumar, IAS (OR:79), Defence Secretary for a period of three months or till a regular incumbent is appointed or till further orders whichever is the earliest w.e.f. 25.5.2015. __________________________________________________________

It means GOI in no mood to offer responsibility to above three stalwarts of DRDO.

May be Parrikar Shahib received bunch of Anonymous letter in which the DRDO officials exposes their great achievements like connections with suppliers / vendors, their encouragement towards incompetent beloveds, their technical compatibility, managing their in house awards, specially their patronage and soft corner to some one special  like Sh Avinash Chander pattern.

We request to PMO, MoD this time they should take care all above,  IB clearance, clear vision, original subject knowledge,  not deemed private universities credentials,  most important is the feedback from younger scientists because they are future of DRDO and they need fearless environment to grow so they can able to deliver their best.

Jaihind

Curious case of army donation to PM fund

Press Trust of India | New Delhi/Mumbai May 14, 2015 Last Updated at 15:28 IST
In a curious case, the army has said no contribution from the salary of any of its personnel has been donated to Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, a statement that comes four months after Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag had handed over a cheque of Rs 100 crore to the fund.

“It has been intimated by concerned agency that no amount on account of contributions from salary of any Army personnel has yet been donated to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.

“The matter is under consideration,” army CPIO Lt Col Rajiv Guleria said in an RTI response to Dehradun-based Prabhu Dandriyal.

The photographs of the 67th army day event are posted on the web site of Prime Minister’s Office showing cheque titled “one day’s pay of all ranks of Indian Army” being handed over to Modi by Suhag in the presence of Defence Minister Mahohar Parrikar.

Dandriyal has now sent his RTI petition to the Prime Minister’s Office seeking to know what happened to the Rs 100 crore cheque which is said to have been donated by the army chief to the Prime Minister.

“When by March 20 no amount of contribution was taken from the salaries, then how did the army chief submit the fund of Rs 100 crore to PM relief fund. This is why I have sought clarification from the PMO by filing another RTI,” Dandriyal told PTI.

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?#t=0

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.”

I smell malicious intention by DRDO officials, claims former Agni V programme director RK Gupta

Pranay Upadhyay, CNN-IBN Feb 06, 2015 at 12:35pm IST
New Delhi: A day after the project director of nuclear-capable Agni 5 missile programme at DRDO RK Gupta was removed, a letter has surfaced in which he has claimed that he was targeted by former DRDO chief Avinash Chander.
“I feel dishonoured the way I was treated. I smell malicious intention. My whole family is undergoing mental agony. In case of any untoward incident or accident, I fix responsibility on Dr Avinash Chander and Dr VG Sekaran,” Gupta writes in his letter.
Gupta was removed as director of Agni V programme a day after a successful test. While DRDO sources termed the transfer as “routine”, the officer alleged that he was singled out by two senior officials within the organisation including former chief Avinash Chander, who demitted his office on January 31.

 While DRDO sources termed the transfer as "routine", the officer alleged that he was singled out by two senior officials within the organisation including former chief Avinash Chander, who demitted his office on January 31.
While DRDO sources termed the transfer as “routine”, the officer alleged that he was singled out by two senior officials within the organisation including former chief Avinash Chander, who demitted his office on January 31.

Gupta has complained to the Defence Ministry that he received the letter, dated January 9, only on February 2 when he reached his office after the successful launch.
“With all humility and respect, I wish to bring to your notice that on February 2, I was relinquished from the post of project director Agni-V. I am shocked that such bad treatment is meted out to such a senior scientist with an excellent track record throughout service tenure,” he said in his letter to Defence Secretary RK Mathur, who is also holding the additional charge of DRDO.
Incidentally, Gupta’s name had come up in connection with the sudden termination of Chander’s contract by the government, 15 months ahead of his tenure.
It was then rumoured that one of the reasons for Chander’s removal was three complaints filed by individuals including by Gupta who has denied any such move.

DRDO Chief Avinash Chander sacked 15 months ahead of his contract term

IBN Live – Jan 13, 2015 at 08:58pm IST
New Delhi: Government on Tuesday removed Chief of top defence research organisation Avinash Chander, 15 months before his contract was to end. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi “approved the termination” of the contract of Avinash Chander with effect from January 31, an official notification said.
Interestingly, Chander who was Secretary, Defence Research and Development cum Director General, DRDO and Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, had retired on November 30 last on attaining 64 years of age and he was given a contract for 18 months till May 31, 2016.
The removal of Chander after being given a contract raises questions over the Government action. Analysts believe that the action could have been taken against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment that the ‘laid back’ attitude in the DRDO will not be tolerated during a visit last year.

avinashchander_630

Efforts to contact Chander did not fructify as he did not answer the calls made on his phone. Chander joined DRDO in 1972 after completing graduation in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. Chander is the chief architect of Agni series of ballistic missile systems.
Development of Agni range of missiles under a highly- restrictive international control regimes was possible only out of his technology forecast, perspective planning and relentless efforts, DRDO officials said.

Avinash Chander to continue as DRDO chief till May 2016

PTI | November 28, 2014, 19.11 pm IST
Avinash Chander 28 novNew Delhi: India’s premier defence and research organisation DRDO’s chief Dr Avinash Chander was to retire on November 30 but will continue to occupy the position on a contractual basis till May 2016.

“The President is pleased to retire Dr Avinash Chander, Secretary, Department of Defence Research & Development (DOB: 06.11.1950), in the Ministry of Defence from Government Service with effect from 30.11.2014 (AN) on attaining the age of superannuation,” an official statement said on Friday.

It said “the appointment of Chander beyond his date of retirement, November 30, for 18 months would be on contract basis, with the same terms and conditions as he would be entitled to Secretary (DRD) before the date of retirement.”

His contractual term will end on May 31, 2016. Asked if this was the first time a DRDO chief will go on contract, sources said there had been instances when chiefs have been given “extraordinary” extensions.

The DRDO chief also holds the post of Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister and the Secretary of Department of Defence Research and Development.

Chander joined DRDO in 1972 after completing graduation in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi.

He obtained MS in Spatial Information Technology from Jawharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad. Chander is the chief architect of Agni series of ballistic missile systems.

Development of Agni range of missiles under a highly-restrictive international control regimes was possible only out of his technology forecast, perspective planning and relentless efforts, DRDO officials said.

Supreme Court issues notice to Centre, DRDO

The Hindu – August 17, 2014 02:42 IST

Are defence organisations exempted under RTI?

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Neelam  Bhalla RTI Case
Neelam Bhalla RTI Case

डीआरडीओ में ताजमहलो का निर्माण – दूसरी क़िस्त

माननीय श्री नरेंद्र मोदी जी                                                                       दिनाक 18 जुलाई  2014
प्रधानमंत्री
कक्ष संख्या  152 पीएमओ
साउथ ब्लाक  नईदिल्ली -110011

 

विषय : डीआरडीओ में ताजमहलो का निर्माण – दूसरी क़िस्त

माननीय श्री प्रधानमंत्री जी एक तरफ हम समाचार  पत्रो व् टी वी में पड़ते व् देखते  है कि

Modi austerity drive, no new cars for ministers, PMO to monitor spending               by Marya Shakil, CNN-IBN Jun 25, 2014 at 08:57pm IST.

Modi, whose working style had garnered headlines in less than a month of assuming office, has also asked the ministers to take PMO’s approval for any purchases above Rs 1 lakh, according to sources.

वंही दूसरी ओर डीआरडीओ में ताजमहलो का निर्माण बदस्तूर जारी है I इसी सन्दर्भ में करप्शन इन डी आर डी ओ   वेबसाइट   को एक ईमेल द्वारा आज जानकारी मिली डी आर डी ओ  द्वारा कि लॉन्ग व्हीलर आई लैंड में करोड़ों रूपए खर्च करके सिर्फ चार अदद कमरो का एक वी आई पी गेस्ट हाउस का निर्माण कार्य जा रहा है जिसकी खास बात यह है कि उसके हर कमरे का डिजाइन दुबई के एक सात सितारा लक्ज़री होटल के कमरो के अनुरूप किया जा रहा है I

यह निर्माण कार्य 100 मजदूरो द्वारा रात दिन लगातार कार्य जा रहा है और अगले सप्ताह इस   गेस्ट हाउस का उद्घाटन होना है I यह सब निर्माण कर्नल सत्पथी के देख रेख में चल रहा है जो की लभग दस वर्षो से वंहा कार्यरत है  इसके अलावा एक लक्ज़री बोट भी किंग्स एंड क्वीन कंपनी से खरीदी  गयी है I क्या आपको लगता है की किंग्स एंड क्वीन की बोट में बैठ कर जाने से मिसाइल ज्यादा सटीक निशाना लगाएंगी I जंहा एक और सामान्य कर्मचारी सरकारी आवास समस्या से जूझ रहे है काफी लम्बी प्रतीक्षा सूची चल रही  है वंही दूसरी ओर इन  तथाकथित विज्ञानिको को विलासिता सूझ रही है I

आपसे नम्र निवेदन है कि शीघ्रता पूर्वक इन तथाकित वैज्ञानिको को देश के बहुमूल्य पैसो की बर्बादी से रोके सादगी का सन्देश दे क्योंकि कोई भी रिसर्च के लिए इन सब विलसिताओं की कोई भी आवश्कयता नहीं होती I सर जे सी बोसे ने कोई भी अविष्कार फाइव स्टार होटल में बैठकर नहीं किया था I

ऐसा न हो की आप अपने सांसदों  व् मंत्रियो को सादगी का सन्देश देकर  देश का लाखो रुपये बचाये और दूसरी ओर ये  तथाकित वैज्ञानिक देश का करोड़ो रुपये बर्बाद कर दे I

धन्यवाद

प्रभु डंडरियाल
21-सुंदरवाला, रायपुर, देहरादून
फ़ोन  0135- 2787750, मोबाइल – 9411114879,
e-मेल  id prabhudoon@gmail.com  वेबसाइट  www.corruptionindrdo.com

सलग्न  – करप्शन इन डी आर डी ओ वेबसाइट को प्राप्त ईमेल

prabhudoon@gmail.com” <prabhudoon@gmail.com>
date:   Fri, Jul 18, 2014 at 6:57 AM
subject:           Corruption new inputs
mailed-by:      guerrillamail.com
Received: by 10.152.131.193

Prabhu ji, I want to inform S.A. saheb’s latest gift to himself a multi crore guest house with just 4 rooms with 7 star facility at wheeler island. He is going to inaugurate it next week. Each room is modelled as per designs from Dubai luxury hotel and more than 100 labourers are working day and night under Shri.Col. Satpathy who is the permanent Construction c.c.e. for the past ten years at the same sensitive and maney making post at Baleswar and Kolkata for the past 10 years. He has made similar seven star guest house in Kolkata also for his VVIP bosses to please them. A luxury boat(yact) is also being purchased for the Kings and queens of D.R.D.O. in Wheeler Island. Please do something to stop this. Like the fake degree scam, another big chunna to govt is by employees building houses in same station with H.B.A. and still staying in lab quarters by renting their house. Such like artificial scarcity of quarters is created and the waiting list is too long. moreover, taking this artificial shortage into account new quarters are being built by the construction department at exorbitant costs (much higher rates than C.P.W.D.)our department has become more of a construction dept. than R&D. That too contracts are issued only to some big fish contractors close to these corrupt officers without any transparency. When the whole country is following e-mail tendering, our dept. follows selective tendering. These construction engineers have even started taking projects from other than our dept. due to the huge kick backs provided in the over priced contracts. Please please do something otherwise we are going to be doomed. Wellwisher.

DRDO claim on LCA export premature: Former top IAF officers

29 Jun, 2014, 1430 hrs IST, PTI
DRDO’s claim about being in a position to export Light Combat Aircraft Tejas has been dismissed as premature and unrealistic by former top IAF officers.

NEW DELHI:  DRDO’s claim about being in a position to export Light Combat Aircraft Tejas has been dismissed as premature and unrealistic by former top IAF officers, who want it to focus on getting the indigenous fighter plane inducted into own air force first.

“It is good to have ambitions but there are several miles to go before we can talk or think about exporting LCA.

“It is too early to talk about this as it has to be fist inducted into IAF before we take a decision on selling these planes,” former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy said.

He was reacting to DRDO’s claim that it can sell light-weight multirole LCA to friendly foreign countries in future.

Krishnaswamy said DRDO and the country will have to be “realistic” as for exporting the aircraft. The country will have to make huge investments to create a new and big production line for mass production of these aircraft, he said.

The development of the home-grown fighter aircraft, which recently got ‘Initial Operational Clearance’ by IAF, has already taken 30 years at an estimated cost of over Rs 17,000 crore.

However, the induction is still awaited as IAF has not yet given the ‘Final Operation Clearance’. Production of the aircraft is estimated to push up the cost further.

Krishnaswamy said when it comes to exporting combat aircraft or helicopters, the seller has to provide long-term fleet support to the customer countries and “DRDO has no exposure to such fleet management practices”.

“We had exported some choppers to a country and one of them crashed during the national day parade of that particular nation.

“So, we should first focus on developing the aircraft for our own requirements and then think of other things,” he said.

Krishnaswamy said the first indigenously built bomber HF-24 Marut aircraft had to go through several modifications due to problems experienced in it even several years after it was inducted in IAF.

DRDO regional director RK Satpathy stabbed by juvenile in Hyderabad

PTI | June 22, 2014, 20.06 pm IST
Hyderabad: A senior DRDO official suffered injuries after he was attacked with a razor blade by a juvenile pickpocket on Sunday who managed to escape even after being caught for stealing a cell phone in the crowded Charminar area.

Regional Director of a Koraput-based DRDO unit R K Satpathy, who suffered injuries below his chest after the teenager attacked him with a blade, was immediately rushed to a government hospital and his condition was stated to be out of danger, police said.

A group of 15 officials of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had come to the city to attend a seminar.

Satpathy, along with his colleagues, went to the Charminar area for sight-seeing and shopping, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Zone) Sarvashresth Tripathi said.

Taking advantage of the crowded area, a 16-year-old boy snatched a cell phone from the pocket of Satpathy’s colleague Logaonkar.

His other colleagues and some locals immediately chased the teenager and caught him and handed over the boy to Satpathy, the DCP told PTI.

“After catching the teenager, who is a pickpocket and addicted to sniffing whitener, they alerted the police. Even as Satpathy was holding the boy he took out a shaving blade and attacked him and fled away,” Tripathi explained.

“The DRDO official was immediately rushed to a government hospital and his condition was out of danger,” the senior police official said.

The boy, whose identification has been established, was recently arrested in a chain-snatching case and for quarrelling with a local person, though he was out on bail, police said.

Hussaini Alam Police booked a case on charge of attempt to murder and other charges under the relevant sections of the IPC in connection with the incident and launched a hunt to nab the juvenile.

The Regional Director of Regional Centre for Military Airworthiness was on a visit here, said Ravi Kumar Gupta, Director, Directorate of Public Interface, DRDO.

The incident has nothing to do with “DRDO affairs,” he said.

Satpathy was rushed to a hospital. “He is out of danger,” Gupta added.