An overhaul of India's premier defence R&D organisation is on the cards with the defence ministry aiming to give greater powers to cluster heads and creating a younger leadership, those in the know of developments say.
Days after the Defence research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Avinash Chander was unceremoniously asked to go, an official said Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is reviewing all of the behemoth's facilities.
"More power will be given to the cluster heads of DRDO. This will give them higher flexibility in financial matters and also enable better synergy," the official told IANS, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
DRDO has about 530 ongoing projects, with 136 being in mission mode. Some of these include the Agni IV and Agni V long-range ballistic missiles, the Nirbhay cruise missile, an airborne warning and control system (AWACS), the Arjun main battle tank and the Tejas light combat aircraft.
According to source, a change of leadership at the cluster level can also be expected as both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar have been pitching for younger talent.
Seven technology clusters of DRDO were created following a report of an experts committee - aeronautical systems (Aero); electronics and communications systems (ECS); missiles and strategic systems (MSS); naval systems and materials (NS&M); armament and combat engineering (ACE); life sciences (LS) and micro-electronic devices and computational systems (MED & CoS).
Last year, the government also rejected extensions for at least four top scientists at the director level beyond 60 years of age as it was felt this was impacting the younger talent.
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"There have been reports that young talent is discouraged due to the repeated extensions. Many talented young scientists leave the organisation because they don't find a defined progress path," another official told IANS.
According to a DRDO internal survey, more than 50 percent of the scientists left the organisation because of lack of professional satisfaction.
A defence ministry related parliamentary committee, meanwhile, has observed that on an average, more than 65 scientists have resigned from DRDO since 2009.
Till 1st October, 2014, 23 scientists had left the organisation during the year.
"The reasons given for leaving are personal or domestic. However, the committee opines that a conducive work environment, invigorated growth opportunities
and suitable incentives can control such resignations," the committee had said in its report tabled during parliament's winter session last month.
It also noted that there has been no enhancement of scientific manpower in DRDO since 2001.
"At present, 7,809 scientists (including service officers and work officers) are working in Defence Research and Development Organisation against the sanctioned strength of 7,932 (including 7,255 scientists, 623 service officers and 54 work officers)," the committee said.
To return to Avinash Chander, the usual retirement age of DRDO scientists is 60 years, but a two-year extension - till the age of 62, can be given. In case of Avinash Chander, known for his contribution to the Agni, he was given an extension for two more years - till the age of 64 - for being a scientist of "international stature".
However, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) Monday approved the termination of his contract from Jan 31, 15 months ahead of schedule.
Turning 64, Chander had retired Nov 30, 2014 and was given an 18-month contract till May 31, 2016.
The government is also planning to bifurcate the post of scientific advisor to the defence minister-cum-DRDO chief, held by till now held by a single person.
Meanwhile, DRDO sources say lack of a budget is a major issue, resulting in project delays.
Noting this, the parliamentary committee said that the DRDO had sought Rs.18,495.46 crore for 2013-14 but was allocated Rs.15,282.92 crore for a shortfall of Rs.3,212.54 crore.
The DRDO's share of the total defence budget was 6.98 percent in 2009-10, which dropped to 5.37 percent in 2013-14. However, this slightly improved to 6.67 percent for 2014-15.
The official also said that there are coordination gaps between the DRDO and the armed forces, which are being looked into.
"When the DRDO is given a requirement, we start working on the project. However, by the time the product is ready, there can be technological changes and the requirement can change. This leads to a gap, which can only be filled only when there is closer communication," the official pointed out.
He also noted that good communication with the Inddian Navy helped in developing radar technology in which India is now almost self-reliant.
(Anjali Ojha can be contacted at anjali.o@ians.in)