While defending the action against former Isro chief Madhavan Nair and three others, minister of state in the PMO, V. Narayanasamy tells Rashme Sehgal the final word hasn’t been said on the issue. Dr Nair is free to appeal to the PM.
The government’s decision to blacklist former ISRO chief Madhavan Nair and three other top scientists seems rather harsh especially when you are dealing with the crème de la crème of the Indian scientific community. Nair has been given the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan apart from overseeing over 20 satellites in space during his tenure as ISRO chief. Do you feel the government has been both harsh and hasty?
How can you say the government has been harsh? We have gone by the recommendations of the two committees set up to look into this whole issue.
The Suresh Committee looked into the agreement signed between Antrix and Devas Multimedia . After studying the case, they recommended that the agreement should be annulled since due process had not been followed. The PM had given an assurance in Parliament that the government will find out if there had been any lapses and the setting up of these committees was a follow up of this assurance. So, how can the government action be termed as unfair.
But the issue is that these very scientists were till only a short while ago considered to be highly reputed ? There is also the question mark that the Suresh Committee report was over written by the present ISRO chief.
I don’t want to comment on speculative comments. Nor do I want to underestimate the contribution of our scientific community. Scientists are our nation's assets and have done the country proud. India has the sixth leading space research program in the world and there is no doubt that Madhavan Nair has been amongst our top scientists.
If that is the case, has the government ‘s reaction been rather knee jerk?
No not at all. The government wants to keep the record straight on this entire issue.
But experts have pointed out that leasing transponders at a fixed price is the normal practise being followed by space agencies around the globe. There is also a vast difference between satellite and terrestrial uses of spectrum. Both seem to have got blurred in this controversy.
I don’t want to comment on technical issues or about the nature of the agreement entered between the two companies ( Antrix and Devas Multimedia).
The agreement has been challenged in the court law and the Supreme Court is seized of the matter.
Could the government not have waited for the Supreme Court decision. What was the hurry?
I have made it very clear that the government has an open mind on this whole issue. If there have been no lapses ( as the scientists are claiming), then the decision will be reconsidered.
No one has taken a final decision.
Will this prove to be a setback for ISRO?
It is not a setback, rather it is a procedural lapse. We are willing to look into the merits of the case. Those who are aggrieved ( scientists ) should give their comments in writing and we will look into their position.
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