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Patna,(BiharTimes): Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief Madhavan Nair said he could dissociate himself from Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, and a high-profile plane project he has been conceptualising.
The 68-year old Nair is the Chairman of the Board of Governors of IIT Patna as well as the Chairman of a committee overseeing the design of an indigenous aircraft capable of carrying about 90 passengers. |
He said he was prepared to sever ties with the government if that is what it wants. He said that he does not want to thrust himself upon the government. “If not India, there are international institutions that will respect me,” he said. He is at present the president of the International Academy of Astronautics.
He made it clear that he would not return the Padma Vibhushan award, which he was conferred in 2009, because it was an accolade for India’s space community. Besides, he said he had enormous respect for the President, from whom I received the award," he said.
Nair served as the Chairman of ISRO from 2003 to 2009. He put the blame on his successor K Radhakrishnan for what he called “character assassination”.
He urged the Prime Minister for a full investigation into why the deal between Antrix, the commercial arm of ISRO, and Devas Multimedia was cancelled, suggesting vested interests scuttled it. Dozens of similar agreements exist between Antrix and private firms but only this one was singled out, he said.
He described Manmohan Singh, who oversees the space department, as an honest man. But the Prime Minister should have given him the courtesy of a fair hearing before the recommendations against him and three other former colleagues were finalised, he added. He regretted that he is being treated worse than terrorist as he, nor others, got a chance to explain their position nor are they being proceeded against in a court of law.
Following media exposes of the favourable terms Devas got from the deal last year, multiple enquiries were ordered into the incident and the Cabinet took the unusual decision of scrapping the deal to meet the needs of the nation.
The space department's order barring the scientists refers to directions from the government following the enquiry reports. But it is unclear why no legal proceedings have been initiated against the scientists if they have been found guilty of wrongdoing in the sensitive matter by the enquiry commissions.
The timing of the action against Nair is significant as the Supreme Court is slated to hear Devas’ petition to allow arbitration under UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) on February 3.
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