DRDO Chief sacked?

[CONNAN]

Real reasons behind DRDO chief Avinash Chander's sacking

In December, dna had exposed how Parliament Standing Committee on defence had rapped up DRDO for its shoddy research, inordinate delays, corruption and its fancy for reverse engineering

• 
  Avinash Chander (left) has been terminated from the post of DRDO Chief File Photo dna Research & Archives

Three major complaints against Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Avinash Chander, including two anonymous ones, were pending before the Prime Minister's Office in November 2014, when he was given a contract of 16 months on his retirement. It is reliably learnt that investigations into the complaints went against him and thus he was summarily sacked two months after the extension in service.

What were the complaints about?
According to RTI by Uttarakhand-based Prabhu Dandriyal in December 2014, and accessed by dna, PMO had stated that it had received three complaints against Avinash Chander. The details of the two complaints could not be ascertained. The third complaint was filed by R K Gupta of Advance System Laboratory, Hyderabad. According to PMO sources, Gupta had made an allegation against DRDO chief Avinash Chander for favouring his junior. Gupta was apparently superseded by his junior scientist by bending the rules, sources added.

Why was the PM peeved?
Chander had to face PM's ire also because of the mess in the DRDO. As per the PMO estimates losses worth around Rs 29,000 crore were accrued due to time and cost overruns in acquisitions/developmental projects. For example, the indigenous Aircraft Carrier will now cost Rs 19,341 crore from its original cost of Rs 3,241 crore. Similarly, in case of the Stealth Guided Missile Destroyer, the cost has been revised from Rs 3,850 crore to Rs 11,662 crore and timelines have been revised from 2010-11 to 2015-16.

What did dna report highlight?
In December, dna had exposed how Parliament Standing Committee on defence had rapped up DRDO for its shoddy research, inordinate delays, corruption and its fancy for reverse engineering.

What's Parrikar's justification for sacking Chander?
On Wednesday, defence minister Manohar Parrikar said, "It was my recommendation that the DRDO chief's post should be held by a young person and not by someone on contract."

Interestingly, the government has taken action against Chander, but there are many more scientists in DRDO working under extension rules even after their retirement. As on September 1, 2014, around ten scientists in category of distinguished scientists i.e. special secretary level and over a dozen scientists on grade H -- outstanding scientists i.e. additional secretary level – are still working in DRDO. But no termination orders have come against them.

The government's reason seems to be also ironical as it has recently appointed Vijay Kumar Saraswat, former DRDO chief, as full-time member of newly formed Niti Aayog. Saraswat had worked as DRDO director general post 60 years. He had got an extension of two + two years and finally retired on May 31, 2013. Saraswat is Chander's predecessor and according to a senior scientist in DRDO, "both have ideological differences which was known to scientific fraternity."

What are Chander's credentials?
Avinash Chander is an IIT Delhi graduate and joined DRDO in August 1972. He has won several awards, including DRDO medal for scientist of the year for AGNI I, and is called the chief architect of the long range ballistic missiles in India. He had retired on November 1, 2014 but was given an extension, on contractual basis, till May 2016.

Real reasons behind DRDO chief Avinash Chander's sacking | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis

 

[jha]

Exclusive: Super-charged Agni-5 farewell awaits DRDO Chief - Oneindia

 

[sancho]

According to PMO sources, Gupta had made an allegation against DRDO chief Avinash Chander for favouring his junior. Gupta was apparently superseded by his junior scientist by bending the rules, sources added.

Isn't that what the government and especially the PM wants to do now too, pushing junior scientists? So can we expect several senior DRDO scientists soon coming forward with complains too?

Chander had to face PM's ire also because of the mess in the DRDO. As per the PMO estimates losses worth around Rs 29,000 crore were accrued due to time and cost overruns in acquisitions/developmental projects. For example, the indigenous Aircraft Carrier will now cost Rs 19,341 crore from its original cost of Rs 3,241 crore. Similarly, in case of the Stealth Guided Missile Destroyer, the cost has been revised from Rs 3,850 crore to Rs 11,662 crore and timelines have been revised from 2010-11 to 2015-16.

The time and cost-overruns are valid points, although the examples hardly fall into Mr Chanders term as the DRDO Chief and the blame should be put on Mr Saraswat.

 

[magudi]

http://thehindu.com/news/national/tamilmani-likely-to-be-interim-drdo-chief/article6794564.ece/

 

[sancho]

@Indo-guy

Wanted to steer DRDO into global arms market: Chander

Avinash Chander on Monday said he respected the government’s decision to truncate his term as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief but regretted that it had cut short big dreams too.

In an exclusive interview to HT, his first after being sacked on January 13, Chander said the government was free to take decisions but he would harbour the regret that he wouldn’t be around to steer the DRDO’s foray into the lucrative global arms market.

“My biggest dream was to export DRDO-developed weapon systems. It would have been the highlight of my 42-year-long career,” said Chander, whose contract is being terminated on January 31 — 16 months before his term ends. The government cut short Chander’s term as it wanted someone younger to man the crucial post.

Wanted to steer DRDO into global arms market: Chander


And that's exactly what I criticize on him or his predecessor Mr VK Saraswat, the misguided view of developing for export reasons, instead of delivering what India and our forces needs!
He surely have his merits and deserves respect for them, but the way he acted as the chief of DRDO, leading it to the wrong directions, justified his sacking and send a clear signal, but I still say it could had been done better by the DM and the MoD.

 

[sancho]

Sacking Not a Good Word to Hear After 42 Years', India's Agni Man Says

Top scientist Avinash Chander, who was recently ousted as chief of the Defence Research and Development Organisation or DRDO has said the termination of his contract was "totally unexpected" and that he was taken by "surprise" by the swift move of the government.

"Sacking is not a good word to hear after 42 years of service," Mr Chander told NDTV, also saying that Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was well within his rights to choose his team. The minister had said the government wanted younger scientists on the team.

Mr Chander, 64, said he was hurt by the way in which the whole episode was handled with the media informing him of what he calls his "sacking" but insists that he has "no regrets" as he has made India a "missile power to reckon with"...

...Mr Chander asserts that the DRDO is transforming itself but admits that in the past there have been huge delays like those around the making of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) or Tejas and the Main Battle Tank called Arjun...

'Sacking Not a Good Word to Hear After 42 Years', India's Agni Man Says

 

[Guynextdoor2]

Parrikar says Chander removed to bring in younger generation in DRDO - Moneylife
Parrikar wants younger replacement for DRDO chief | Business Standard News

You mean Parikkar will bring in 15 year olds?

'Sacking Not a Good Word to Hear After 42 Years', India's Agni Man Says

There are too many sackings and showing who is the boss going on.I also think the FS deserved a more graceful exit.

Real reasons behind DRDO chief Avinash Chander's sacking

In December, dna had exposed how Parliament Standing Committee on defence had rapped up DRDO for its shoddy research, inordinate delays, corruption and its fancy for reverse engineering

• 
  Avinash Chander (left) has been terminated from the post of DRDO Chief File Photo dna Research & Archives

Three major complaints against Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Avinash Chander, including two anonymous ones, were pending before the Prime Minister's Office in November 2014, when he was given a contract of 16 months on his retirement. It is reliably learnt that investigations into the complaints went against him and thus he was summarily sacked two months after the extension in service.

What were the complaints about?
According to RTI by Uttarakhand-based Prabhu Dandriyal in December 2014, and accessed by dna, PMO had stated that it had received three complaints against Avinash Chander. The details of the two complaints could not be ascertained. The third complaint was filed by R K Gupta of Advance System Laboratory, Hyderabad. According to PMO sources, Gupta had made an allegation against DRDO chief Avinash Chander for favouring his junior. Gupta was apparently superseded by his junior scientist by bending the rules, sources added.

Why was the PM peeved?
Chander had to face PM's ire also because of the mess in the DRDO. As per the PMO estimates losses worth around Rs 29,000 crore were accrued due to time and cost overruns in acquisitions/developmental projects. For example, the indigenous Aircraft Carrier will now cost Rs 19,341 crore from its original cost of Rs 3,241 crore. Similarly, in case of the Stealth Guided Missile Destroyer, the cost has been revised from Rs 3,850 crore to Rs 11,662 crore and timelines have been revised from 2010-11 to 2015-16.

What did dna report highlight?
In December, dna had exposed how Parliament Standing Committee on defence had rapped up DRDO for its shoddy research, inordinate delays, corruption and its fancy for reverse engineering.

What's Parrikar's justification for sacking Chander?
On Wednesday, defence minister Manohar Parrikar said, "It was my recommendation that the DRDO chief's post should be held by a young person and not by someone on contract."

Interestingly, the government has taken action against Chander, but there are many more scientists in DRDO working under extension rules even after their retirement. As on September 1, 2014, around ten scientists in category of distinguished scientists i.e. special secretary level and over a dozen scientists on grade H -- outstanding scientists i.e. additional secretary level – are still working in DRDO. But no termination orders have come against them.

The government's reason seems to be also ironical as it has recently appointed Vijay Kumar Saraswat, former DRDO chief, as full-time member of newly formed Niti Aayog. Saraswat had worked as DRDO director general post 60 years. He had got an extension of two + two years and finally retired on May 31, 2013. Saraswat is Chander's predecessor and according to a senior scientist in DRDO, "both have ideological differences which was known to scientific fraternity."

What are Chander's credentials?
Avinash Chander is an IIT Delhi graduate and joined DRDO in August 1972. He has won several awards, including DRDO medal for scientist of the year for AGNI I, and is called the chief architect of the long range ballistic missiles in India. He had retired on November 1, 2014 but was given an extension, on contractual basis, till May 2016.

Real reasons behind DRDO chief Avinash Chander's sacking | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis

The assholes who're doing this 'analysis' actually think you can build an Aircraft Carrier in half a billion dollars.

 

[sancho]

There are too many sackings and showing who is the boss going on.I also think the FS deserved a more graceful exit.

If there are proper reasons behind it, it's ok. In this case I am more than ok with the sacking too, since the performance of DRDO as a whole is far too low and the Chief is the responsible person for anything good or bad. It's just the way it was done that will leave a sour taste. The same is the case with the FS and even she admitted that the government was not happy with her work in the recent months. So if there were valid reasons based on their work, there is no problem with it, but if it's just party politics as we have seen in same cases too, where they only wanted to put people close to the party in important positions to gain more control, it would be a shameful act.

 

[Guynextdoor2]

If there are proper reasons behind it, it's ok. In this case I am more than ok with the sacking too, since the performance of DRDO as a whole is far too low and the Chief is the responsible person for anything good or bad. It's just the way it was done that will leave a sour taste. The same is the case with the FS and even she admitted that the government was not happy with her work in the recent months. So if there were valid reasons based on their work, there is no problem with it, but if it's just party politics as we have seen in same cases too, where they only wanted to put people close to the party in important positions to gain more control, it would be a shameful act.

I don't know if these people have the time or legacy to fix the problems. I don't disagree with you that maybe we should identify the problems, but jolting the establishment multiple times isn't exactly a great thing either.

 

[sancho]

I don't know if these people have the time or legacy to fix the problems. I don't disagree with you that maybe we should identify the problems, but jolting the establishment multiple times isn't exactly a great thing either.

Yes and no, on the one hand the way he was sacked surely won't make the scientists that follow within DRDO very happy. On the other side, they might understand now that they will be taken accountable for delays and failures. That's important if we want to improve our industry and IMO we need to push DRDO even much harder, but this surely is a wake up call.

 

[Bang Galore]

There are too many sackings and showing who is the boss going on.I also think the FS deserved a more graceful exit..

The FS actually was given plenty of options but she chose not to take them & actually forced the government's hand. The DRDO chief's removal though was done clumsily and in a unnecessarily harsh manner. Unless there is something there that is not being put out on record, it does not reflect very well on the government's handling of these organisations & people who have put in years of work.

 

[Iggy]

Read a news in local newspaper that govt is not dparing Air India also.. There will be a cut in the salary for employees who shows up late..Its high time we need measures like this..

 

[Guynextdoor2]

The FS actually was given plenty of options but she chose not to take them & actually forced the government's hand. The DRDO chief's removal though was done clumsily and in a unnecessarily harsh manner. Unless there is something there that is not being put out on record, it does not reflect very well on the government's handling of these organisations & people who have put in years of work.

Well I do hope things settle down soon. Let's wait and watch I these are just the exceptions or not.

 

[Razia Sultana]

I think this is no way to treat the artichect of AGNI missile. The upward revision of cost of aircraft carrier and others can not be attributed to one person. There is almost no project by the govt. of which cost has not been revised. As regards to favoritism in succession, I think then we need to look into ISRO where from top to bottom everyone appears to be a "madrasi".
Regarding FS episode, the same logic of DRDO chief was not applied that a younger person should be at helm. S Jaishankar was appointed FS on the day of his retirement. Ideally bureaucrats should be governed by their service rules as they execute the vision of politicians regardless of which party they belong to. For an IFS the post of FS is the top most and there could not be any honourable offer but to wait till the retirement.