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RTI to DRDO Development of Custom made Analytical Software for Bullet Resistance Jacket

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it is observed that in DRDO all labs are procuring software worth crores of Rupees from poor tax payers money and most of software pirated or from open sources.    As per reliable sources in some case new recruited scientist are soft targets for worn out senior scientists they exploit them to encourage to develop software modules and after development they procure same software procured in projects through  their beloved  firms.

To,                                                                                                   12 June 2019

Shri Deepak Mishra,Scientis ‘F’, CPIO,

Room No 314, DRDO HQ, Min. of Defence

DRDO Bhawan, Rajaji Marg

New Delhi-110011

Hello,
Kindly provide me with the following information requested under the purview of the Right to Information Act, 2005 in respect of  supply order of Rs 1495250.00 vide No DMSRDE/17AR0054/CMP/CMS-II Dated  4 Oct 2016 for  Development of custom made analytical Software code for predicting ballistic resistance of Bullet resistance jacket (BRJ) and supplied by Pune base firm ZESUS NUMRIX on 2 Feb 2017 Received in DMSRDE on 10 Feb 2017. The copy of Supply order and Receiving slip of software CD plus accessories are enclosed for your ready reference.

  1. Provide the certified copy of physical availability supplied CD plus accessories from JCDA representative.
  2. If available then provide the utilization certificate by DRDO Hq representative.

 

Note – the matter is related to corruption it is observed that in DRDO all labs are procuring software worth crores of Rupees from poor tax payers money and most of software pirated or from open sources.

Regards

Prabhu  Dandriyal,
21-Sunderwala, Raipur,

Phone 0135- 2787750, Mobile- 9411114879,
e-mail id prabhudoon@gmail.com  website www.corruptionindrdo.com

     Registration Number   MODEF/R/2019/51806

Drdo

3 Scientists detained after papers leaked to ISI

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ET Bureau|Updated: Oct 09, 2018,
New Delhi: Two scientists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation and one from Brahmos Aerospace have been detained for allegedly leaking confidential documents to a suspected Pakistan-based ISI agent after becoming targets of a honeytrap.

Two of the scientists are working with the DRDO’s Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment in Kanpur. The third scientist is working at a Brahmos unit in Nagpur, which is involved in making critical components for the missile, according to sources.

The missile, which is supersonic, can be fired from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. This person had been working at the Technical Research Section of the Nagpur unit for several years.

The three scientists were active on some social media sites, where they were allegedly compromised.

The Military Intelligence wing of the Central Army Command had been examining their activities on these sites and figured that they had allegedly become targets of honeytrap.
It is suspected that the scientists had transferred some confidential documents to an ISI agent, who was pretending to be a woman, according to sources.
The Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra ATS were alerted about the matter and the scientists were thereafter detained.

The computers of the three individuals have been seized and the authorities are questioning their associates.

Drdo

Congratulations Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy

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Dear Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy Congratulations for taking charge of Chairman DRDO, after long chase and waiting of one year three months finally you achieve your goal.

Now the time has come to see that what a young DRDO chief can deliver to nation.

some observations will help you to reshape the pathetic condition of DRDO

Whether DRDO: Ailing organisation in ICU needs Surgical Curtailment

1. One of the negligent aspect of DRDO is maltreatment of the valuable and scientific human resource. They are treated worse than a clerk, transferring non compliant officers, favouring own people for making good of office power. No link to promotions, awards and transfers to the performance of the scientists.
2. More pathetic is mishandling of finance, get funds, award tenders to favored vendor, either national or international, get cuts to fatten benami bank accounts.
3. Poorly specified technical requirements leading to manipulation during placing supply orders.
4. Transferring anyone not obliging for corruption, stopping their promotions and threatening them with dire consequences.
5. Forming a coterie and running the organisation as a family entity with vested interests further own progress rather than that of organisation.
6. No senior scientist including DGs, produce any worth technical paper having original research, because they don’t have time for R&D, since busy with producing fabricated data and bogus claims on scientific achievements.
7. Finally, DRDO ends up with a product that is obsolete, sub optimal and non- performing, handed over to armed forces forcefully. These inventories are a burden to the armed forces and finally junked without waiting for the final product.
8. Further, there’s a construction wing furiously doing research on arboriculture, estate maintenance and construction of quarters etc.
9. Reshape  this, about a dozen of labs like DEBEL, DFRL, DIBER, SASE, DIPAS, INMAS etc so called life sciences units of DRDO doing all sorts of non core activities and wasting funds and manpower.
10. DRDO having lost focus, breeding corruption and engaged in non scientific activities, takes huge funds and does whatever a head of the establishment fancies. No questions asked.
11. The organization has been on this path and its scientist are molded to work in this path and thought process

In nutshell, DRDO has forgotten raison d’être, namely, to serve and support the services. It, in present form and function, is not fit to continue. It is anachronism with the international defence R&D. It needs Surgical Curtailment that provides professional Human Resource management and corruption free financial handling. Let professional and trained civil servants handle administration while the users decide the areas under which DRDO has to focus, omit trivial projects and concentrate on the core defence R&D.
Please take your decision is in right direction for both DRDO as well for the country’s military future.

First and foremost is DRDO has chosen path of Reverse Engineering during 80s to quickly develop some products for emergency requirements of those turbulent periods be it IMDP or any thing
This mindset only encouraged nepotism in the organization… And made 80s 90s era scientists turned current bosses become intolerant to new generation and out of box thinking in the organization

Scientist of DRDO managing all aspects of the organization likes HR, Operations, Finance, and Materials etc… But never bothered to train themselves in these fields

Currently without realizing that Reverse Engineering can only cater the Hand to Mouth needs which can never bring competitive edge in the current scenario…. People are still working with the same mindset

Incompetent Scientists as Directors without leadership abilities are ruining the young talent of the organization

Poor succession planning, poor project management…

and at last, hope you will fulfill your commitment, which you gave to a officer in Jolly Grant Airport, your act will differentiate that you are not egoist, low mindset, running after construction, favoring nepotism, coterie man  like your most of predecessor DRDO chiefs, they spend their valuable time in these areas.

with lots hope and best wishes for your shiny Reddy tenure

www.corruptionindrdo.com ( working for clean DRDO)

Drdo

Exclusive: Defence research at risk due to delay in filling key posts

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By Pradip R Sagar August 04, 2018 THE WEEK

(File) Visitors look at a display of DRDO communication aircraft at the DefExpo 2018 in Chennai | AFP

The Narendra Modi government has undone one of its own major defence sector reforms. Soon after it had come to power, the Modi government had bifurcated the posts of the chief of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and of scientific adviser to the defence minster for better efficiency and ease of functioning. Now, both posts are vacant.

The last scientist to head the DRDO, S. Christopher, retired on May 29, and the government has not yet found a scientist to succeed him. So it has asked the defence secretary, an IAS officer, to also function as head of the prestigious body of defence scientists.

And two months ago, the term of Satish Reddy, scientific adviser to the defence minister, ended. The post has been lying vacant since.

Earlier, the director of the DRDO also used to function as scientific adviser to the defence minister. As many as 12 eminent scientists had held the post, including such illustrious names as A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, V.S. Arunachalam, V.K. Saraswat and Avinash Chander. Under their stewardship, the prestigious body with nearly 8,000 defence scientists—and having an annual budget of about Rs 20,000 crore and about 50 laboratories—developed a host of ballistic missiles, Light Combat Aircraft, Arjun battle tank and hundreds of critical weapons systems and components, which are not even available for import.

After the Modi government came to power, it first granted an extension to the then DRDO chief-cum-scientific adviser Chander, who was to retire in November 2014. The extension was for 18 months, but less than two months later, the Modi government abruptly cancelled the extension, sent Chander packing, and asked the defence secretary R.K. Mathur, an IAS officer, to function also as DRDO chief.

The then defence minister, Manohar Parrikar, defended the Modi government’s decision to cut short Chander’s tenure, saying that the government wanted someone younger to head the DRDO, as at that time, nearly a dozen of its topmost scientists were on service extensions after retirement.

Subsequently, the Modi government bifurcated the posts. The DRDO chief’s job was given to aeronautics scientist Dr S. Christopher, while Dr Satish Reddy, a missile scientist, was appointed scientific adviser in May 2015, both for two-year terms. When their terms expired, the government gave both of them one-year extensions.

Finally, Christopher’s tenure expired on May 29, on which day he demitted office. The post has since been held as an additional charge by Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra, an IAS officer, for the period of three months.

Reddy’s extended tenure ended on June 4, and he has since gone back. The post he held in Delhi, that of the scientific adviser, “has since been lying vacant, and no fresh order for extension of his service or naming his successor has come,” said an informed source.

There is a buzz in the defence ministry that Reddy, who is also director general (Missiles & Strategic Systems) is being considered for the post of DRDO chief. Other names being considered include P.K. Mehta, director general of armament and combat engineering systems; Jillelamudi Manjula, currently posted as the director general, electronics and communication systems and Sudhir Mishra, head of BrahMos.

There is also speculation that the Modi government is toying with another experiment—of merging the posts of secretary, Research and Development (who is also chairman, DRDO) and secretary, defence production. The ‘IAS lobby’, too, is learnt to be pushing for the move because the defence production secretary’s job is held by an IAS officer.

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Nirmala Sitharaman likely to back J Manjula as next DRDO chief

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The research body has remained headless – though defence secretary Sanjay Mitra has been accorded additional charge – since incumbent S Christopher retired in June.

By Manu Pubby, ET Bureau|Jul 21, 2018,
With the race for the next head of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) heating up, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman is believed to be putting her weight behind a surprise candidate — Jillelamudi Manjula, the first woman director general of the body.

Government sources said that though Manjula — currently posted as the director general electronics and communication systems — is junior to several other scientists in DRDO, her name is in consideration after a strong push by the minister.

A decision on the next DRDO chief is expected to be taken by the appointments committee of the Union Cabinet in the next few days.

The research body has remained headless – though defence secretary Sanjay Mitra has been accorded additional charge – since incumbent S Christopher retired in June.
Manjula, who belongs to Andhra Pradesh, is not as experienced as other competitors, who have been shortlisted for the appointment but is the first woman scientist to be appointed to the senior post.
If selected, she will have an unusually long tenure as the chief that can stretch up to eight years, given past precedence when DRDO chiefs have been given an extension till the age of 64 years.

Another name doing the rounds is that of Pravin K Mehta, who heads the armament cluster of the research organisation in Pune.

 

Drdo

As S Christopher completes term, DRDO to remain headless for 3 months

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By Manu Pubby, ET Bureau|Updated: May 29, 2018

Christopher was in May last year given a one-year extension. His extended term ended today.

NEW DELHI: The Defence Research And Development Organisation (DRDO) could stay headless for as many as three months with the government failing to find a replacement for incumbent Selvin Christopher who retired on Monday. Efforts till late to grant him another extension in service could have delayed the appointment of a successor, with a search committee looking at probable names to recommend to the cabinet appointments committee.
Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra will hold additional charge of the organisation till the government approves a scientist to take over the top position, an official notification said.

The past few weeks has seen jostling for the post. DRDO has an annual budget of `17,861 crore. Outgoing chief Christopher who was already on a year’s extension of service beyond the prescribed age but had been hoping for yet another extension.

This search committee list is expected to include the three senior most scientists of DRDO, besides the first woman to have made it to the post of director-general in the organisation. Sources said that those in the fray include missile scientists G Satheesh Reddy, the scientific advisor to the defence minister and the head of the Brahmos missile project, Sudhir Mishra.

While Mishra and Reddy come from the missile scientist community that has traditionally ‘ruled’ DRDO, also in contention is Pravin K Mehta, who heads the Armament cluster of the research organisation from Pune. A surprise entrant to the selection shortlist could also be DG Jillelamudi Manjula who heads the Electronics & Communication Systems vertical at DRDO.
As reported by ET, several top level appointments are pending at the defence ministry. The crucial posting to Northern Army Commander is still to be announced

Drdo

Army Two Star General made mockery of Indian Army’s reputation in DRDO

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To                                                                                                           27th March 2018

General Bipin Rawat,

Army chief

Army Headquarter, South Block,

DHQ P.O, New Delhi 110011

Subject: Army Two Star General made mockery of Indian Army’s reputation in DRDO.

Sir,

In the name of Services Interaction, DRDO has service officers from all three wings of the armed forces. The officers are posted on a tenure basis.

It is observed that in DRDO more than 90% services officers are assigned logistic/ administrative jobs like Security Officer, Motor Transport Officer, Estate Manager, Material Management and managing scientists officers mess/canteen requirements, etc.

Some smart services officers who are involved in DRDO’s scientists’ bluff game are able to get permanent absorption in the organization and enjoy services as well as the scientist sticker.

But sincere services officers face a lot of embarrassment from the corrupt scientist herd. They face unprecedented transfers in their short tenure, negative remarks on their service records only because they perform the job assigned honestly. For all these unfair means DRDO takes help of senior services officers who are permanently absorbed and are enjoying all kinds of benefits along with the corrupt scientists.

Since the last 30 years, DRDO has not been able to quote a single services officer who has contributed to any remarkable technical contribution to the nation through DRDO (except the services doctors).

The important part of these absorbed services officers is that they are promoted unduly without contribution to the nation or services. Only thing that they protect are the bluffers.

Only one example to prove the aforementioned is Maj. Gen. Ajay Gupta, present Director, VRDE, DRDO, Ahmednagar. If anyone sees his journey in DRDO, he will know how blessed the Maj. Gen. is because of saving culprit scientist as long as he was serving tenure as Director Vigilance, DRDO, HQ. Of the hundreds of complaints filed, he stopped or delayed multiple cases. This reveals the truth about how corruption flourishes in DRDO with the help of service officers.

Maj. Gen. Ajay Gupta, present Director, VRDE, DRDO, Ahmednagar made mockery of Indian Army reputation on 15th February 2018.

As reported by Sakal Times “CBI to probe Major Gen’s role in security breach at VRDE” March 14, 2018”

It is a very serious matter that active Army Maj. Gen, who was earlier served as Director Vigilance & Security. DRDO HQ for long tenure did this misadventure.

As per Sakal Times “When contacted, Maj Gen Gupta said, “I did not conduct any meeting with those foreign nationals. They came to VRDE without any clearance, which is why I went to the gate to turn them back.”

Above statement of Maj Gen Gupta is totally wrong because as per evidences for telling no for meeting he can pass the massage through Security or if he wants to say no personally, how come conveying the same took 30 minutes. 

15th Feb 2018 Dhound Gate, VRDE, DRDO, Ahemadnagar

Foreigners reached at Dhound Gate, VRDE, DRDO, Ahemadnagar-           10:29:56

Director reached in his flag car at Dhound Gate, VRDE. Ahemadnagar-    10:33:12

Something dumped in Foreigner’s vehicle without security         –              10:44:44

Director back in his flag car from Dhound Gate, VRDE Ahemadnagar-      11:00:43 

Maj. Gen spend time with two foreign nationals almost                  –  27.31 Minutes

Second one most important evidence not highlight in news clip that is at 10:44:44 hrs, 15th Feb 2018 Cam – 3 of Dhound gate recorded that some stuff was dumped in foreigner’s white car by VRDE personals, Maj Gen Ajay Gupta was present there  in meeting with foreign national.(Evidence – 12)

As per CCTV recording one local vehicle dealer was present in above said meeting as per sources he was only organized the meeting which itself explanatory that Maj Gen Ajay Gupta very much involve personally with vendors/dealer etc.

Therefore, for the clean reputation of Indian Army a serious inquiry is needed, CBI, IB, MI are have their own course but Army Headquarter should deal this matter in high level. Because the Maj Gen Ajay Gupta approached DRDO Hqrs to send a denial to media on this issue fortunately it did not work since Maj Gen Ajay Gupta was enjoying the post of Dir. Vig & Security for a long time and have lot of inputs of wrong doings of high level DRDO official so he will try to bury the incident and influence the enquiry.

As a citizen of India and tax payer I request you to take appropriate action on above said incident and set exemplary precedent for service officers who are serving in DRDO and working against national interest. Hope we will soon be able to see our grate army practice to dealt such serious security/corruption matter which can dent our national interest

With great hope, Jaihind

Regards

Prabhu Dandriyal,

21-Sunderwala, Raipur,

Dehradun-248008

Phone – 0135-2787750 | Mobile – 9411114879

Email – prabhudoon@gmail.com | website – www.corruptionindrdo.com

 

Enclosed:  recorded evidence of incident

 Copy to

  1. Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister, 104- South Block, New Delhi-110011
  2. Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI), Indian Army Hq Of MoD, South Block, New Delhi -110011

 

Drdo

Army officers are in predicament or compelled position in DRDO

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To                                                                                              7th February 2018
Hon’ble Smt Nirmala Sitharaman,
Defence Minister,
104- South Block
New Delhi-110011

Subject:  Army officers are in predicament or compelled position in DRDO

Madam,

In the name of Services Interaction, DRDO has service officers from all three wings of the armed forces. The officers are posted on a tenure basis.

It is observed that in DRDO more than 90% services officers are assigned logistic/ administrative jobs like Security Officer, Motor Transport Officer, Estate Manager, Material Management and managing scientists officers mess/canteen requirements, etc.

Since more than 30 years I have witnessed that scientists use these services to satisfy their ego issues and services officers for better APAR keep mum for the sake of their career.

Some smart services officers who are involved in DRDO’s scientists’ bluffer game are able to get permanent absorption in the organization and enjoy services as well as the scientist sticker.

But sincere services officers face a lot of embarrassment from the corrupt scientist herd. They faced unprecedented transfers in their short tenure, negative remarks on their service records only because they performed honestly the job assigned. For all these unfair means DRDO took help of senior services officers who are permanently absorbed and are enjoying all kinds of benefits along with the corrupt scientists.

Since the last 30 years, DRDO has not been able to quote a single services officer who contributed to any remarkable technical contribution to the nation through DRDO(except the services doctors).

The important part of these absorbed services officers is that they are promoted unduly fast without contribution to the nation or services. Only thing that they protect are the bluffers.

Only one example to prove the aforementioned is Maj. Gen. Ajay Gupta, present Director, VRDE, DRDO, Ahmednagar. If anyone sees his journey in DRDO, he will know how blessed the Maj. Gen. is because of saving culprit scientist as long as serving tenure, Director Vigilance, DRDO, HQ. Of the hundreds of complaints filed, he stopped or delayed himself. This itself reveals the truth about how corruption flourishes in DRDO with the help of service officers.

In DIPR, DRDO Group Capt. served continuous 8 years and again he got the posting in DIPR. This implies that he is very useful in research and contributing national or internationally or some linguistic connection is working.

It is not understandable that one side our honorable minister of state for defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre said in the Rajya Sabha that there is a shortage of over 9,000 officers in Indian Army & Navy and on the other hand DRDO is utilizing services officers in sundry jobs.

Please refer to enclosed DRDO, DOP letter no DOP/04/48013/01/Policy dated 30 September 2004 subjected “ Utilization of Services Officers Posted on Tenure Basis to DRDO”. Nothing has changed till date.

Please refer to enclosed RTI, RTI Reply, First Appeal, First Appeal reply of DRDO, which reveals the pathetic situation of service officers who want interview with DG, DRDO and are not able to know the interview request letter status.

It is not understandable how DRDO has become so powerful, which was created to strengthen the services instead of crushing their moral.

 

Jai Ho.

 

Regards

Prabhu Dandriyal,

21-Sunderwala, Raipur, Dehradun-248008

Phone 0135-2787750, Mobile 9411114879

Email prabhudoon@gmail.com website-www.corruptionindrdo.com

Enclosed

  1. Photo Copy of DRDO, DOP letter no DOP/04/48013/01/Policy dated 30 September 2004
  2. Copy of RTI request, RTI Reply and reply of First appeal
    Copy of DRDO, DOP letter no DOP/04/48013/01/Policy dated 30 September 2004

Drdo

Why Indian Railways Need To Buy 3,350 Truckloads Of Cow Dung For Rs 42 Cr

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Srinand Jha, January 6, 2018- IndiaSpend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Indian Railways need to buy 3,350 truckloads of cow dung at Rs 42 crore in 2018 to “recharge”–add bacteria to activate degradation–leaky, malfunctioning ‘bio-toilets’ that it has fitted on 44.8% of trains and hopes to expand to all trains by 2018, according to IndiaSpend projections of data released by the national auditor to Parliament.

Bio-toilets are small-scale sewage-treatment systems beneath the toilet seat: Bacteria in a compost chamber digest human excreta, leaving behind water and methane. That’s how they were supposed to work.

The Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report on these bio-toilets echoes the findings of our November 2017 investigation into their widespread malfunctioning: The CAG found 199,689 defects in 25,000 toilets.

Responding to the CAG findings, the railway ministry said its criticism was “not correct” and that “some problems of choking were occurring on account of misuse of toilets by passengers”. An official note from December 20, 2017, said: “These issues are being dealt with promptly.”

“By November 2011, the performance issues of each design of bio-toilets were clearly showing up,” the note said. “Therefore, the ministry did not wait until the end of the trial period to make the decision (to order the procurement of bio-toilets from private manufacturers).”

Our November 2017 story quoted studies from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and IIT Kanpur that said the bio-toilets were no better than “septic tanks” and the water they let out no better than “raw sewage”.

Each bio-toilet requires 60 litres–or three large bucketfuls–of inoculum, a mix of cow dung and water, according to the December 19, 2017, CAG report. This inoculum begins the process of breaking down 3,980 tons of human excreta that is released untreated by trains on rail tracks nationwide every day.

The bio-toilets originally used a bacterium found in Antarctica by a defence scientist, who cultured it in 2005 and 10 years later, got a patent on its use. Over seven years to 2017, 97,761 such toilets were fitted in new coaches or retrofitted in existing Indian trains.

The railways went ahead with the toilet installation even though the flaw in the basic model designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had been pointed out by an expert panel in 2007. In an interview (to be published tomorrow), Vinod Tare, an IIT professor of environmental engineering, who headed this panel, told us that these bio-toilets had been found ineffective at two venues: Kumbh Mela, the massive gathering of Hindu pilgrims held every 12 years at a river bank, and the army base-camp at Siachen glacier.

The panel’s two-year study was completed in November 2017 by IIT Madras, as IndiaSpend reported on November 23, 2017.

The railways sent a rejoinder to our story–you can read it here–and soon after announced they were exploring airplane-style vacuum toilets.

The railways bought 3,600 litres of inoculum for Rs 68,400 in May 2016, said the CAG report. Based on this cost, we estimate that to recharge the 97,761 bio-toilets currently in use, the railways will need 23.46 million litres–or 3,350 truckloads–of cow dung.

With the railways failing to produce enough bacteria, the cow dung will be sourced from private sector at Rs 19 per litre. The railways have a workshop–with an installed capacity to generate 30,000 litres of bacteria each month–in Nagpur, but no action has been taken on a 2011 proposal to set up two more facilities, at Kapurthala and Perambur.

No clarity on funds or manpower for bio-toilet project

There is no clarity on two other critical issues relating to bio-toilets on trains: The infrastructure costs involved in installation, including procurement and installation of evacuation machines and hydraulic lifts, and anticipated expenses on training and deployment of manpower.

Further, if all 54,506 rail coaches are to be fitted with vacuum toilets atop the bio-toilets being installed–as is being planned–there will be an additional cost of Rs 10,900 crore. The current market price of a vacuum toilet unit is approximately Rs 200,000.

The additional expense might have been worth it if the bio-toilet scheme, 24 years in the making, had been efficient. But the CAG has amplified concerns about its performance and has endorsed the findings of the IndiaSpend investigation.

The flaws in bio-toilets, according to the CAG

In an evaluation of 25,000 toilets for the period under review (2016-17), the CAG detected 199,689 defects and deficiencies. Here are some major issues, according to the report:

Highest number of problems/ defects (41,111) found at the Bengaluru coaching depot, followed by Gorakhpur (24,495) and Wadi Bunder (22,521);
Complaints per bio-toilet were highest at the Bengaluru coaching deport (98), followed by Wadi Bunder (32), Rameshwaram (28) and Gwalior (17);
Of the 102,792 instances of choking, 10,098 (10%) cases reported in March 2017;
Of the 102,792 cases of choking in 25,080 bio-toilets, the highest (34%) were reported from Bengaluru. This implied that one bio-toilet got choked 83 times a year;
Choking incidents have risen from 2015-16: One bio-toilet got choked four times a year during 2016-17.
Quantity and quality of material used criticised by CAG

In an email dated May 21, 2016, to then defence minister Manohar Parrikar, Y Ashok Babu, a scientist at the DRDO, had alleged that a “nexus of bureaucrats and industrialists” was pushing for what was “nothing but gobar gas plants involving no technology”.

The CAG report too slammed the railways for the “quality and quantity” of material being procured.

As the report observed, there were complaints pending against seven of the nine firms against with which the Railway Board placed orders. These are: Ms JSL Life Style Limited, Ms Omax Auto Limited, Ms Mohan Rail Components Limited, Ms Rail Fab, Ms Amit Engineers, Ms Hindustan Fiber Glass Works and Ms Rail Tech.

In July 2017, the railways ministry barred three companies (Ms Rail Tech, Ms Rail Fab and Ms Hindustan Fiber) from being considered for railway contracts for an unspecified period. The ministry also proposed that the contract of another company, Ms Mohan Rail, be cancelled.

Negligence in testing of effluents and bacteria culture

The CAG report found that 12 coaching depots of nine railway zones had not finalised the annual maintenance and operating contracts (AMOCs) for bio-toilets.

“Evaluation of performance is a continuous process resulting in addition or deletion from the approved list,” the railways ministry said in a press note in response to the CAG report. It added that “all major coaching depots now had the AMOC contract, while this was progressively being extended to other depots”.

As the CAG found, Indian Railways have not adhered to the guidelines on testing the effluents released by bio-toilets. The tests had not been conducted at all at the Dhanbad coaching depot and records of the samples sent for testing and the results of these tests were not maintained at five coaching depots.

At the Lower Parel workshop in Mumbai, 18 drums of bacteria procured at a cost of Rs 68,400 in May 2016 had been lying unused even after their shelf life had expired.

After 2011, the railways placed bulk orders for the supply, installation and commissioning of approximately 80,000 bio-toilets. The CAG criticised the railways for failing to come up with a “standardized design” for these units. It also pointed to the “large scale proliferation” of 10,000 tanks in November 2011 “before test results of trials on seven different variants had been analyzed”.

Earlier news reports had suggested that the land-based variants of these toilets were unsuccessful.

This is the first of a two-part series. You can read our November 2017 report on railway bio-toilets here.

Next: ‘Railways Went Ahead With A Failed Bio-Toilet Model’

(Jha is a New Delhi-based freelance journalist.)

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‘Railways Went Ahead With A Failed Bio-Toilet Model’ IndiaSpend

✔@IndiaSpend

Tech solutions to train-toilet problem exist, but ‘the intention to find a lasting solution is not there’. Bureaucrats only interested in fulfilling targets, ensuring tenures are trouble-free: IIT engineer & professor Vinod Tare tells us. http://bit.ly/2CIZKAY

Amlan عملان अम्लान Dutta@orphean_warbler

Some yrs back Jairam Ramesh took initiative & DRDO installed some bio toilets in the villages near Wheeler Island. No one used them.
Biotoilets don’t work in Indian context

Mrinal Pande@MrinalPande1

द.ध्रुव से आयातित खास बैक्टीरिया से लैस करवाए गये हमारी रेलों के बायो- टायलेट करोड़ों खर्च करके भी नारकीय क्यों बने हुए हैं? जानकारी ।

Assa Doron@AssaDoron

So much for biotoilets http://www.indiaspend.com/cover-story/why-indian-railways-need-to-buy-3350-truckloads-of-cow-dung-for-rs-42-cr-78722 …

rsivaram@rsivaram

Wow, that’s some sh*t!

 12 minutes ago

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On-board treatment of human excreta in trains is difficult; evacuation facilities & treatment plants–for compost or biogas–can be set up in the rail yards: IIT’s Vinod Tare, head of 2007 team that studied bio-toilet project in Indian trains.

THE LEGAL INDIA@thelegalindia

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J’Railways  Went Ahead With A Failed Bio-Toilet Model’ – IndiaSpend http://ift.tt/2CN31jx

Dinesh Agrawal, Ex-IRS@dka1966
Replying to @IndiaSpend @MisaBharti

Who took decision to install bio-toilets in Railway, it appears that decision was taken decades back but installed during UPA regime but NDA is blamed

Harshit Gupta@hg6

Failed bio-toilet model?

IndiaSpend

✔@IndiaSpend

Bio-toilet model used in Indian trains failed to work at 2013 Kumbh Mela and Siachen but railways still pushing for use in all trains. Our interview with engineer & prof Vinod Tare, head of 2007 IIT study on train bio-toilets. http://bit.ly/2CIZKAY

Teesta Setalvad@TeestaSetalvad

Huge waste of your and mine..The Indian taxpayers money

Rakesh Kumar@rakeshkonfucius

Cc @PiyushGoyal @PiyushGoyalOffc

SK Iyer@iyer_sk

A 2007 study, jointly conducted by the Lucknow-based Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and IIT Kanpur, also concluded that excreta wasn’t being treated in the bio-digesters. The railways has not made this report public. http://www.indiaspend.com/cover-story/railways-went-ahead-with-a-failed-bio-toilet-model-17151 …

Quicksilver@shigrahrajat
Replying to @IndiaSpend

they planted the septic tank in the coaches.

#कमभक्त@chat2malay

Dr @PiyushGoyal ji ये हो क्या रहा है

Drdo

Situation of R&D in India and plight of competent scientists

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The following article written by DR BHAGWAN D AGGARWAL, a biomedical scientist and a healthcare industry consultant with significant international experiences at pharmaceutical consulting companies and global research institutions, published in dailyO on 4th June is perfect picture of today R&D scenario of India.

We are daily  witnessing such worth of 1000 of crores scientific instruments purchasing not based on utility, but their higher prices – because higher price gets more “commission” and exhaust the budget. If GOI investigate sincerely, then only one organization DRDO can fetch 50000 crores rupees instruments which are lying idly without any use in more than 50 labs.

I’m a scientist. I returned from US to find why India can’t become a superpower

It is high time not just to make additional policies and regulations, but to disrupt the prevailing complacency, harassment and corruption.

DR BHAGWAN D AGGARWAL –  4th June 2017, daily O

India is still lagging behind in scientific research by every metric of productivity and quality.

No doubt, investment and salaries have increased significantly in research in recent years, but still not sufficient to make an impact.

The prevalent dismissal working conditions, harassment and gross mismanagement that I experienced, could be the main reasons.I would like share my experiences.

I returned to India in 2009 after working for eight years in the US, and three years in Europe at some of the best research institutions and universities such as the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University, ICGEB (Trieste, Italy).

I published several papers in the best peer-reviewed journals. Though, my salary in India was meager, I was happy to return and contribute.

I tried very hard to fit in at my institute and the organisation to deliver my best in research, teaching and training activities, but unfortunately, I did not get any support from anyone in my endeavors.

I was working in a national institute of occupational health but, ironically, the working conditions were dangerous and unhealthy. For instance, carcinogen-laden UV helmet was unmarked that I used unknowingly for months, open and unsecured blood contaminated and bio-hazardous waste.

The lab facilities such as culture lab was locked for weeks and the imaging microscope was locked for years. Even my office cabin was locked for years and I was forced to use a small instrument lab (for PCR and molecular biology) as my office. I did not get my requested instruments (basic and low cost) for four years. I was denied PhD guideship, though I had several peer-reviewed research publications, PhD from JNU, New Delhi (the premier university of India) and 10 years of research experience at the best institutions.

Many times, the scientific instruments are purchased, not based on utility, but their higher prices – because higher price gets more “commission”

I was denied an opportunity to present my research at the Gordon Conference even though my paper was accepted with financial assistance, and my applications for collaboration were delayed and denied.

I faced many hurdles from the administration such as no account of expenditure was provided after repeated requests. And when I tried to organise workshops or training seminars, I was forced to deal with petty issues.

I raised all these issues to the highest level (from the director of the institute to the director-general of my organisation) but no action followed. Only the harassment continued.

Still, I kept trying for almost five years, but only to get more stressed and frustrated.

At last, I resigned but my resignation was labelled as “conditional” and I was subjected to further harassment by sham investigations and inquiries and, at one point, I was intimated to surrender my passport.

My job applications to other government agencies were blocked to cause serious damage to my career and my research. I feel betrayed by the system back home.

Finally, I left the country and came back to the US.

I may not be the only one, there may be many more who returned to India and got their talent wasted and might be feeling the same way as I do.

Although, I worked in one of the most stressful and unhealthy work environments in my research career, but still I had some satisfaction of training and educating young minds and delivering lectures.

In hindsight, I think it was the students’ affection and their keen desire to learn which kept me motivated during those five years. I witnessed the worst management with no accountability and pathetic apathy.

This might be the case in most of the institutions barring only few. Many times, the scientific instruments are purchased, not based on utility, but their higher prices – because higher price gets more “commission”.

Less than 10 per cent of the instruments are ever utilised with less than 1 per cent instruments’ lifetime use time, especially for expensive equipment (Rs 5,000,000 (about US $80,000) or above).

The prevalent mismanagement, corruption and stressful and unhealthy work-environment are wasting the talent and scarce resources of a poor country and bleeding the science.

I believe whatever small percentage of the GDP India is spending on science, most of it is a waste.

Mismanagement and stressful work environment discourage any scientist or researcher to do any meaningful and quality research.

Most of the top leadership of research institutes /organisations such as directors, director-generals, vice-chancellors are appointed in their mid-50s (55+) who worked (tolerated) in the same system for 20-30 years.

This type of leadership is complacence and they are afraid to take any risk, which could jeopardise retirement or post-retirement career.

Institutions do not have any transparency, accountability and/or established grievance resolution process. Notoriously delayed justice (of 15-20 years) through judicial courts is only encouraging this practice.

Policies and regulations do not work in absence of good people to implement and enforce. It is high time for India, not just to make additional policies or regulations, but to disrupt the prevailing complacency and culture of mismanagement, harassment and corruption in institutions by recruiting the best scientists in their mid-40s from outside of institutions, as leaders with “animal spirit” (as Dr Manmohan Singh, former prime minister, used to refer to).

These young leaders can take risks to challenge the complacency and change the prevailing culture of corruption and harassment in institutions to bring the much-needed “disruptions” to boost productivity and quality of research in a country of billions.