ISRO staff writes to Chairman seeking clarification on proposed plan to transfer operational units; Convention center slams | Today’s news
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) employee associations have now expressed concern over the space agency’s plan to transfer certain manufacturing and operational duties to private companies.
ISRO Staff Association writes to Chairman: Here’s why
Demanding an official explanation from ISRO chairman V Narayanan, at least nine employee associations wrote a letter to the ISRO chairman dated September 4 expressing concerns about the agency’s future role and implications for current employees and future recruitment, PTI reported on Sunday.
The nine employee associations included ISRO Staff Association, SHAR Employees Association, ISAC Employees Association, ISRO Staff Association LPSC, ISRO Staff Association-BBU, NRSA Employees Union, Space Employees Association-BBU, ISRO Staff Association-IPRC and SAC Employees Welfare Association.
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The letter states: “Private participation in defined commercial activities can coexist with a strong, publicly owned ISRO. What cannot be accepted without debate is a policy that reduces ISRO to a residual R&D (research and development) boutique, while the implementation of the nation’s launch vehicles and the operation of its launch infrastructure comes out of public hands.”
The letter referred to comments made by Pawan Goenka, chairman of India’s National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), on 21 August. IN-SPACe is responsible for promoting, enabling, authorizing and overseeing non-governmental space activities.
At a public event, IN-SPACE chairman reportedly said, “ISRO will ultimately not make any launch vehicles and will not make any launch vehicles. All this will be done by the private sector or PSUs.”
However, employee associations said Goenka’s remarks were not followed by any official communication from the space ministry outlining the approved policy, its legal and administrative framework, implementation timetable or implications for the existing workforce and future public sector recruitment.
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The employee associations added, “Technology developed by ISRO is a national asset. Its transfer must be transparent, accountable and consistent with strategic, security and personnel considerations – it must not be presented to employees through news reports.”
They also sought to clarify whether the design, development, production, integration, testing and launch of PSLV, LVM3, SSLV and future launch vehicles would remain under the space agency or be transferred elsewhere. The employees also raised concerns about the implications of the proposed shift on the sanctioned strength, existing vacancies, recruitment calendar and induction of scientific, technical, administrative and industrial manpower at all ISRO centres.
The Congress is criticizing the Center over the proposed transfer of ISRO
After ISRO employee associations wrote to the chairman seeking clarification, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh criticized the Center and accused the government of deliberately curtailing ISRO’s role in the name of supporting startups.
Jairam Ramesh, who shared a screenshot of a media report on a letter from employee associations to the ISRO chief, wrote: “In the name of supporting startups in the space economy, ISRO’s role is being deliberately curtailed by the Modi government. Worse, the capabilities it has painstakingly built over decades are to be transferred to private companies whose long-term commitment is questionable.”
Developments have now focused attention on the government’s plans for ISRO and an official confirmation from V Narayanan.
