Tag Archives: Pranav Kulkarni

Drdo

Denied seminars abroad, DRDO scientist moves CAT

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Written by Pranav Kulkarni | New Delhi | Published on:April 6, 2015 12:00 am – The Indian Express

A DRDO Scientist has alleged the lab denied him permission to visit other countries to attend conferences and seminars
A DRDO Scientist has alleged the lab denied him permission to visit other countries to attend conferences and seminars

A scientist has moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) after his integrity was questioned by the DRDO laboratory where he works.
In his complaint, Gausal Khan, a scientist at the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Science (DIPAS), Timarpur, has alleged the laboratory denied him permission to visit Japan, China, the Netherlands, and other countries to attend conferences and seminars.
It all started in 2011, when Khan was denied permission to visit Japan. The DIPAS, however, said he did not seek permission in time and despite being denied nod to visit Japan, he went ahead with the trip. The laboratory later filed a complaint with the police.
After working abroad, according to Khan, he in 2010 joined the DIPAS where he was part of the Hematology Group of Research. Khan, a grade ‘D’ scientist, was assigned to submit a project along with two other scientists.
In his petition, Khan said the director of the laboratory, Dr Shashi Bala Singh, denied him permission to visit Japan in February 2011 after he was selected for one “Developing World Scientist” award for the same project.
While Khan alleged the director “kept mum” on issuing him a no-objection certificate till the last date of submission of the project synopsis, the laboratory said Khan did not seek permission for going abroad in time — a claim denied by the scientist.
A chargesheet based on the laboratory’s complaint against Khan was filed in the court in April 2014. It accused Khan of entering into correspondence with “foreign universities/institutions without obtaining prior permission” as required by the government’s policy.
According to the chargesheet, he received USD 1,500 as travel award and represented one “Sinha Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology” at the conference, an allegation denied by Khan.
After the incident, Khan claimed he was denied permission to attend several other seminars and conferences abroad. The DRDO and the Ministry of Defence did not respond to the development when contacted.

 

Drdo

Another top DRDO scientist denied extension by Modi government

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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.