20 top scientists quit DRDO in 6 month

sandeepdg

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BANGALORE: In a severe blow to the already shrinking number of researchers in defence laboratories across the nation, 20 top scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) have quit their jobs in the last six months.

With the economy looking up and IT sector beginning to hire in a big way, defence scientists are opting for better opportunities. Scientists working in the field of computer science, electronics and communications are the most sought after by the private sector, as per DRDO records.

Vijaykumar Saraswath, scientific adviser to defence minister A K Antony, said on Friday: "In the last six months, I have signed about 20 resignations of top scientists. We are losing scientists from our labs and IT sector is picking them up. There were no such en masse resignations in the last two years."

To retain the bright scientists, he said "we need to have good HR policies, which are now in place,", he added.
But there is hope. A large number of young NRI science graduates are approaching DRDO for work. "Also, there are a lot of youngsters from our own universities who have shown interest in pursuing research. We are looking forward to recruiting youngsters," said Saraswat.

In 2008, when 285 scientists had resigned over the span of three years, defence minister A K Antony had promised incentives to arrest the attrition rate in DRDO. The proposed incentives included providing career enhancement opportunities to scientists by granting them study leaves.

BANGALORE: In a severe blow to the already shrinking number of researchers in defence laboratories across the nation, 20 top scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) have quit their jobs in the last six months.

With the economy looking up and IT sector beginning to hire in a big way, defence scientists are opting for better opportunities. Scientists working in the field of computer science, electronics and communications are the most sought after by the private sector, as per DRDO records.

Vijaykumar Saraswath, scientific adviser to defence minister A K Antony, said on Friday: "In the last six months, I have signed about 20 resignations of top scientists. We are losing scientists from our labs and IT sector is picking them up. There were no such en masse resignations in the last two years."

To retain the bright scientists, he said "we need to have good HR policies, which are now in place,", he added.
But there is hope. A large number of young NRI science graduates are approaching DRDO for work. "Also, there are a lot of youngsters from our own universities who have shown interest in pursuing research. We are looking forward to recruiting youngsters," said Saraswat.

In 2008, when 285 scientists had resigned over the span of three years, defence minister A K Antony had promised incentives to arrest the attrition rate in DRDO. The proposed incentives included providing career enhancement opportunities to scientists by granting them study leaves.

Read more: 20 top scientists quit DRDO in 6 months - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-months/articleshow/7388431.cms#ixzz1CUybDSn7
 

Bangalorean

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This is a blessing in disguise. I hope that terrible and inefficient organization called DRDO collapses completely, and defence production is handed over to private firms. That will be the day we will have Indian versions of Boeing, Lockheed, BAE systems, etc.
 

venkat

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They have an excuse ,if the next AGNI test ends up in BOB!!!!
 

Tshering22

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The other day I read an article that stated how Mahindra, TATA and other big shots entering aerospace and defence are rolling the red carpet for DRDO 'retired' scientists. I guess this is the cue. One of those two already hired the top Tejas scientist.
 

SATISH

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First these guys must relax their selection criteria and make it research based...not quota based.
 

Welcome

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DRDO need much better policy than Tata, mahindra and other private compinies. However it is impossible for DRDO.
 

Oracle

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First these guys must relax their selection criteria and make it research based...not quota based.
A good and valid point Satish.

Package - They need to increase their package to match those in IT industry.
Professionalism - DRDO severely lacks.
 

Tshering22

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First these guys must relax their selection criteria and make it research based...not quota based.
Removing all those would lose the government of precious divisive votebanks my friend. It is political connections that makes such evils to continue existing in our society. Now imagine that if ALL the quotas in all top academies were banned and students were selected purely on the basis of merit, how progressive would our government and even private institutions be? But then, whom would the ruling party woo? :D

This is the reason why quota in jobs, education fields, academies etc continue to exist; POLITICIANS.
 

pmaitra

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Contrary to what many would espouse, 'quota' has got nothing to do with professionalism, neither does 'privatisation'. Programmes like 'Affirmative Action' exist in the US as well. Moreover, there are plenty of instances of deterioration of services post privatisation.

Regarding 'quota' system, it has been discussed well in another thread, but I would like to point out that is has to go but now is not the time. It will go the day the mentality of Indians change. Just like Swami Vivekanada had aptly put, "When a Dalit walks, a 'caste-Hindu' will try to avoid even his shadow, but if the former converts to another religion, the latter will not hesitate to interact with him." Moreover, 'quota' system has existed for centuries in India, but nobody complained because they were the beneficiaries. Now that the beneficiaries are different, all the complains are pouring out. A Dalit is more likely to be discriminated against even if he is qualified and this report highlights that issue (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/oct/03/india.randeepramesh). So who really is dividing the country?

Regarding privatisation, catering services which were privatised long back, have been reported to have provided sub-standard services, that too on a Shatabdi Express (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...n_Shatabdi_Express/rssarticleshow/3227480.cms). So, who can assert the privatisation essentially improves performance and efficiency?

So what is the best way to ensure DRDO does better?
  • Setup several research agencies, like they did in the USSR. For example Ilyushin, Tupolev, Myasishchev et al. competed against each other and produced some of the finest aeroplanes. Let these companies compete against each other.
  • Increase the pay. If the government cannot pay enough, then the scientists will definitely quit and head for other companies that pay better.
 
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pmaitra

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Competetion is needed to weed out complacency. Let the TATAs and Mahindras enter the defense manufacturing sector, and DRDO will have no other option but to churn out quality products.
 

nrj

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Competetion is needed to weed out complacency. Let the TATAs and Mahindras enter the defense manufacturing sector, and DRDO will have no other option but to churn out quality products.
They are already out there & very much professional in handling human resources. They will run Mars to deliver product when ordered. They will bring in top-notch engineers not just from India but even from abroad. They are proactive & hunting for overseas defense firms to absorb technology eventually forming JV or in many cases Acquisition :D

Can DRDO/HAL handle such competition? I wish they can & get alert on time. Even Defense Ministry has its part to play to make DPSUs strong. FM has given sufficient powers to DefMinistry, its time to make appropriate use of them.

Its very crucial for DRDO/HAL to know that Indian Armed Forces are not exactly fond of them nor they've any soft-corner for DPSUs. Most of the time one can hear IAF/IA not happy with what DPSUs are delivering. Matured corporates in fray here are very expert in taking advantage of such situations, by any means.

Tomorrow these Pvt firms can raise vast capital from market to aid urgent R&D requirements or ToT cost.

I hope DRDO has note of these hard circumstances as we speak. But time is running out & next few years will itself report their sincerity.
 
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Bangalorean

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pmaitra:

Here, I disagree with you about your take on privatization. The Shatabdi example is a poor one. These lucrative railway contracts are obtained through bribery and the "right connections", we all know that. There is no incentive to provide good service since bribery fills in the pockets of the babus, and the parent organization (IR) really has no need to provide quality service. Let me reproduce what I wrote about this DRDO thing on another forum:

I present to you, the fact that DRDO has always been an incompetent and useless organization with a terrible work culture and horrible pay. It is a bloodsucking PSU, with typical Babu culture. Their track record is shitty, they have always overpromised and underdelivered. All talk of "DRDOs future plans" is bunkum, since they cannot deliver even 10% of what they promise on time and within budget.

As far as increasing salaries and benefits are concerned, lets get one thing clear - these government PSUs will never be able to match the private sector, and I don't expect them to do that anytime.

So what is the solution? The solution is to open the defence manufacturing and R&D industry to private participation. Why does the US have such power? It is because of their GEs and Haliburtons and Lockheeds and Boeings and Raytheons. We ought to let our own military industrial complex flourish in a similar fashion. We will never be a great power till we let that happen.

Open your eyes friends, look around you. All industries in India which have been opened to private participation have flourished - aviation, telecommunication, insurance, software... on the other hand, everything which still has a government monopoly is still the same as it was decades back.

Stop asking for our tax money to go down the drain by suggesting more salary, more benefit and more budget for DRDO. They can never match up to private industry anyway, and they won't deliver in any case. Start demanding the opening up of the manufacturing sector for private investment, lets build our own GEs and Boeings and BAE systems. Stop subsidizing sarkari white elephants.
 

pmaitra

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pmaitra:

Here, I disagree with you about your take on privatization. The Shatabdi example is a poor one. These lucrative railway contracts are obtained through bribery and the "right connections", we all know that. There is no incentive to provide good service since bribery fills in the pockets of the babus, and the parent organization (IR) really has no need to provide quality service. Let me reproduce what I wrote about this DRDO thing on another forum:
Why is the Shatabdi example a poor one? Just because it proves that privatisation is not necessarily more efficient? Fine. What about mobile service providers? I was in Bhubaneswar (circa 2000-2005). I got a mobile service from Reliance and I used to pay Rs. 5.20 per minute and the service was horrible. When BSNL entered the market, the prices dropped down and hundreds of people migrated to BSNL. The key is competition, not private or public.

I present to you, the fact that DRDO has always been an incompetent and useless organization with a terrible work culture and horrible pay. It is a bloodsucking PSU, with typical Babu culture. Their track record is shitty, they have always overpromised and underdelivered. All talk of "DRDOs future plans" is bunkum, since they cannot deliver even 10% of what they promise on time and within budget.

As far as increasing salaries and benefits are concerned, lets get one thing clear - these government PSUs will never be able to match the private sector, and I don't expect them to do that anytime.

So what is the solution? The solution is to open the defence manufacturing and R&D industry to private participation. Why does the US have such power? It is because of their GEs and Haliburtons and Lockheeds and Boeings and Raytheons. We ought to let our own military industrial complex flourish in a similar fashion. We will never be a great power till we let that happen.

Open your eyes friends, look around you. All industries in India which have been opened to private participation have flourished - aviation, telecommunication, insurance, software... on the other hand, everything which still has a government monopoly is still the same as it was decades back.

Stop asking for our tax money to go down the drain by suggesting more salary, more benefit and more budget for DRDO. They can never match up to private industry anyway, and they won't deliver in any case. Start demanding the opening up of the manufacturing sector for private investment, lets build our own GEs and Boeings and BAE systems. Stop subsidizing sarkari white elephants.
I would largely agree with you on this.
 

Bangalorean

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Why is the Shatabdi example a poor one? Just because it proves that privatisation is not necessarily more efficient? Fine. What about mobile service providers? I was in Bhubaneswar (circa 2000-2005). I got a mobile service from Reliance and I used to pay Rs. 5.20 per minute and the service was horrible. When BSNL entered the market, the prices dropped down and hundreds of people migrated to BSNL. The key is competition, not private or public.
Well, the Shatbadi example is a poor one in this context, because it does not talk about privatization at all!! ALL sarkari organizations have this level of "privatization" - they all float tenders to get peripheral tasks done, and private "contractors" take up those tasks. In sarkari banks, for example, they hire cars from travel agencies to ferry the senior managers. They don't maintain their own car fleets!

In the Shatabdi case, the person giving the contract is a mid level babu who was bribed by the caterer. The caterer is no longer bothered about good service because the babu is already in his pocket, and the caterer can afford to cut corners and reduce his costs because he knows that 100 to 1, he can bribe his way out of any eventuality, even if by some great coincidence, someone were to complain. And the babu knows that he is in a permanent sarkari job and the chances of something going amiss in this sweet arrangement are a million to one.

Had IR been a private firm, they would have been sensitive to customer demands, and the babu would be aware that he might be fired if the quality is not up to the mark. That really, is the difference privatization makes. The shatbadi example you provided was not an example of "privatization" at all!

To some extent you are right that the key is competition. But you are not entirely right. Will it work if we establish 10 government agencies competing against one another in the same field? NO - it will just give rise to 10 equally shoddy companies. Additionally, lets look at aviation. We have a scenario similar to what you described, with Air India being the government player. It is truly the quintessential sarkari laggard. So what do we have here? An airline which is totally unprofessional, loss making and badly managed compared to its private sector compatriots, and which is being propped up by our money. Spicejet or Kingfisher are propped up by shareholders and the investors high up, and the market will either reward or punish them, as the case may be. Air India, on the other hand, is gobbling up money which the Indian state ought to use in stuff which a state really needs to take care of. How about some long pending police reforms or judicial reforms, for example?
 

pmaitra

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Private companies are known for their efficiency in operations, but they are also known to provide bribes and kickbacks. Accusations of kickbacks in defense deals has been reported way too many times. Now we want to make sure we don't have a situation like the one reported here: http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business Ethics/BECG008.htm

One needs to recall how the Indian Army was reluctant to have comparative trials between the Arjun and the T-90. What if DRDO actually produces a better product than their private counterparts? Is there anyway to ensure that the best is selected without basing the selection on the premise that 'private sector must be better'? The Arjun T-90 saga is reported here: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/arjun-vs-t-90-tank-trials-to-kick-off-next/585683/
 
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pmaitra

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Well, the Shatbadi example is a poor one in this context, because it does not talk about privatization at all!! ALL sarkari organizations have this level of "privatization" - they all float tenders to get peripheral tasks done, and private "contractors" take up those tasks. In sarkari banks, for example, they hire cars from travel agencies to ferry the senior managers. They don't maintain their own car fleets!

In the Shatabdi case, the person giving the contract is a mid level babu who was bribed by the caterer. The caterer is no longer bothered about good service because the babu is already in his pocket, and the caterer can afford to cut corners and reduce his costs because he knows that 100 to 1, he can bribe his way out of any eventuality, even if by some great coincidence, someone were to complain. And the babu knows that he is in a permanent sarkari job and the chances of something going amiss in this sweet arrangement are a million to one.

Had IR been a private firm, they would have been sensitive to customer demands, and the babu would be aware that he might be fired if the quality is not up to the mark. That really, is the difference privatization makes. The shatbadi example you provided was not an example of "privatization" at all!

To some extent you are right that the key is competition. But you are not entirely right. Will it work if we establish 10 government agencies competing against one another in the same field? NO - it will just give rise to 10 equally shoddy companies. Additionally, lets look at aviation. We have a scenario similar to what you described, with Air India being the government player. It is truly the quintessential sarkari laggard. So what do we have here? An airline which is totally unprofessional, loss making and badly managed compared to its private sector compatriots, and which is being propped up by our money. Spicejet or Kingfisher are propped up by shareholders and the investors high up, and the market will either reward or punish them, as the case may be. Air India, on the other hand, is gobbling up money which the Indian state ought to use in stuff which a state really needs to take care of. How about some long pending police reforms or judicial reforms, for example?
^^ So you do agree that private companies are not necessarily honest? Both the person who is giving bribe and the person who is taking bribe are dishonest and dishonesty is prevalent in both private and public sectors. The premise that private companies are essentially better than public sector companies is simply wrong and it has been proven on many occasions. Read my other post #16.
 
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Bangalorean

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^^ So you do agree that private companies are not necessarily honest? Both the person who is giving bribe and the person who is taking bribe are dishonest and dishonesty is prevalent in both private and public sectors. The premise that private companies are essentially better than public sector companies is simply wrong and it has been proven on many occasions. Read my other post #16.
Of course "private companies" give kickbacks! All over the world, millions of them do. But that's not even the point here.

You say, "what if DRDO makes a better product?"! I can bet my life here, that if there are 2-3 private companies competing with them, the DRDO cannot even think of completing the product on time, let alone providing the finished product for comparison. That is the nature of the bureaucratic government machinery.

All I am saying is, open up the sector. You want DRDO to remain along with the others? Sure, but it won't survive as a viable entity for more than a decade. Today we consider DRDO an "indispensable service" but when the sector is opened up, DRDO will be shown up as a bloodsucking laggard, the same way Air India is being shown up today.
 

The Messiah

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Question that everybody has ignored is, can we trust private defense firms in India to keep confidential stuff confidential ?
 

nrj

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You say, "what if DRDO makes a better product?"! I can bet my life here, that if there are 2-3 private companies competing with them, the DRDO cannot even think of completing the product on time, let alone providing the finished product for comparison. That is the nature of the bureaucratic government machinery.
On a long enough timeline, I'd agree with you. But in current decade, I see DRDO strong in grabbing orders & the relative attitude will determine its survival in the competition.
 

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