Headless DRDO continues to spark speculation on new DG

Country’s apex military research body - DRDO is headless for the last five months, and that puts a question mark on the intentions of the Narendra Modi government. In a recent interview to a newspaper, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has stated that the name of DG, Defence Research Development Organisation, will be finalised by May 25.

The scientific circles are agog about, who would get the coveted post. Parrikar, earlier had articulated a curious criterion for a DG’s appointment, reportedly saying that he should be young. From that perspective people have sought to conjecture who from the present hierarchy could fill the job.

But sources say, that the government is being advised by the former DG, V Saraswat, who is considered to have had a dislike for Avinash Chander, his successor. On the other hand, in the same recent interview Parrikar, the minister has also hinted that this time the scientific adviser to the defence minister will not be the DG, DRDO.

Sources say, there are some indications that the government has taken kindly to the former Knowledge Commission chairman, Sam Gangadhar Pitroda – a Manmohan Singh <g data-gr-id="23">appointee</g>. He may be one of the few persons in the running for the job. Indications exist that he has been invited to a few forums that are the bastions of RSS-BJP policy thinkers.

But the scientific community is not happy. In <g data-gr-id="29">fact</g> they are quite agitated. Says Dr V Siddhartha, who served in Indian Space Research Organisation and retired from DRDO in 2004 after working directly with four scientific advisers to the defence minister over nearly 20 years: “The <g data-gr-id="26">social-psychology</g> of scientific community, an understanding of which and its appreciation is essential in order to get the best out of this talent; most of whose leadership has chosen to stay and serve in India rather than graze in greener pastures abroad. The public humiliation that some members of this leadership have been subjected to recently has gone down badly in the scientific community.”