INDIAN DISCOVERER KEPT UNDER CAPTIVITY AT DEFENCE LAORATORY, JODHPUR in 1992. – M.A.Padmanabha Rao, PhD (AIIMS)

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INDIAN DISCOVERER KEPT UNDER CAPTIVITY…… This article is intended to provide some insights to Government of India why INDIAN ACADEMIC and RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS ARE CRUMBLING despite spending huge amounts for research and development. My own experience says hard working scientists with honesty and sincerity face a hell in Indian academic and research institutions, besides not getting normal promotions. The biggest consolation for me today is that I escaped from going to jail, while doing research work at Jodhpur . On one hand, my senior colleagues in DRDO at Jodhpur did not want me to get any award for the discovery of a new atomic phenomenon taking place in radioisotopes, for the fear that I might become the next Director of the Defence Laboratory. They denied me two promotions by downgrading my ACRs. Now some people in DRDO staged a war through Krishnan Raman and Gp Capt Sandhu, as DRDO staff or retired from DRDO and resorted to mudslinging on the Physics Discoveries done by me, discrediting even the India ’s glory. Just one day before Gp Capt Sandhu launched an attack on my research work, I received an e-mail on 2 Feb 13 from Air Cmde Raghubir Singh(Retd), Pune with a copy to Sandhu Gp Capt GS…….. “Dear Dr Padmanabha Rao, I read about you today & your meeting SA at that time. There is similar case of an intellectual Gp Capt GS Sandhu my course mate & we served together in the IAF & DRDO for long years. He took premature retirement & continued with his research on his own .He too had met Dr APJ Abdul Kalam”. ….. BLACK HOLES IN WHITE APRON:…………. While working as Lecturer in Medical Physics in Nuclear Medicine Dept at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi I have been invited as Assembly Member to the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology held at Tokyo in 1974 at the age of just 37 yrs. Looking at the Memento presented to me at Tokyo, one eminent Physics Professor at Jodhpur told me that it is a rare International Honor. For my doctoral thesis, I worked independently after office hours sometimes up to 2.00 A.M for over 5 years that ultimately led to the award of PhD Degree (AIIMS) in 1975. All these academic distinctions did not help me to get a normal promotion from Lecturer to Assistant Professor for 11 years in the prestigious academic institution in the country, while some others managed to get senior posts with no experience, in the same Department. My medical colleagues did not want an honest man around in the Department in their top secret activity. When AIIMS prohibits private practice, my three Nuclear Medicine doctor colleagues leagued with two private practicing doctors and tested nearly 400 patients secretly for imaging of liver, brain and thyroid using Gamma Camera and radiopharmacuticals whether required for diagnosis or not but to have monetary benefit. These patients were subjected to radiation exposure whether required for diagnosis or not. Against the normal practice, they were given appointments on phone and in the appointment register patients names were not entered, but as 2 patients of doctor (Private practitioner’ name). Reports were handed over directly to patients, while such VIP facilities were denied for AIIMS Hospital patients. Money transaction took place from private practitioners to my medical colleagues. The news was published in magazines, with the title ‘Nuclear Racket’ in the weekly Blitz, and ultimately in Indian Express. Three enquiries were held as a pretext but only to save the guilty. File containing detailed list of patients tested illegally reached Health Minister Laskar through Home Minister Venkata Subbayya but everything was hushed up. Afterwards, two of these Nuclear Medicine doctors could secure posts as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at Geneva . I left AIIMS after 19 yrs when not promoted for 11 yrs from the post of Lecturer………. INDIAN DISCOVERER KEPT UNDER CAPTIVITY:………….. When I joined the Defence Laboratory at Jodhpur in Rajasthan in March 1983 as Sc D (Assistant Director) through UPSC selection, two of my senior colleagues who knew me at Delhi were unhappy of my joining. As a result, no office chair and table were offered to me for 40 days. In 1984, I wrote a letter in private capacity to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi requesting to nominate me for Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship. An officer was deputed from PMO to meet me and discuss the matter. But the then Director did not allow the officer to meet me. My seniors were afraid that I may become the next Director. What I got was punishment instead of Fellowship. My Annual Confidential Report was downgraded so that I do not get promotion for next 4 to 5 yrs. On instigation by my senior colleagues, three members of workers union were looking for an opportunity. Probably in 1992, three members of workers union saw me in an isolated building but hardly 15 meters from Director’s office. One person blocked the door without any chance for me to escape from the room. Time was 5.30 p.m, and the laboratory would be closed at any moment. When I was trying to escape from room, another person hiding behind the door hit me. My hand was fractured. The third person stood at the entrance of the building so that I cannot escape from the building. The Director office just 15 meters away did not care to relieve me. Director and Deputy Director were hearing the episode from another office. After 45 minutes my colleague with the help of Administrative officer relieved me. When all the scientists protested for the untoward incident and news appeared in local Dailies, those three were suspended on the advice of the Scientific Advisor to Minister for Defence, Dr. Arunachalam. I lodged an FIR and it became a criminal case. In 1997, I withdrew the case because one person may go to jail for 7 yrs. I happened to do the breakthrough research that led to six fundamental physics discoveries while attending criminal court on one side. I just got only one promotion when most of my colleagues got 3 promotions in 14 yrs of service. While the laboratory has been a hell to carry on my research, it was a heaven to some. Some of my colleagues were fortunate to became Grade I directors without any need of working a single hour in the experimental laboratory. One Head of the Department was fortunate enough to purchase 10 plots near aerodrome for serving as Stores in-charge. Today it is worth several Crores of Rupees. Some scientists did pioneering research how to become rich and get regular promotions without any need of doing any significant work. While many young scientists leave DRDO, to some scientists DRDO is an ATM card. This is how a serious research worker with sincerity and honesty can face torturous life in India , so the young seek foreign shores…….. Please peruse my comment approved by Mr. Luis Miranda in his Blog ‘Why I have turned pessimistic about the education sector’. http://forbesindia.com/blog/economy-policy/why-i-have-turned-pessimistic-about-the-education-sector/ – See more at: http://forbesindia.com/blog/technology/what-this-75-yr-olds-story-tells-us-about-discovery-in-india/#sthash.KW4ZaGW3.dpuf