Former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair has expressed his unhappiness over top scientist Roddam Narasimha's decision to resign. Narasimha announced his resignation from ISRO in protest against the blacklisting of Nair and three other scientists over the controversial Antrix-Devas deal. Talking to reporters, Nair said he hoped the respective authorities would be able to convince Narasimha to stay on.
For the second time, the Department of Space has declined to give details on why punitive action was taken against former chief Indian Space Research Organisation G Madhavan Nair in connection with the controversial Antrix-Devas deal, evoking a sharp reaction from the scientist who said there is "something fishy".
Countering claims made by his predecessor G Madhavan Nair, Indian Space Research Organisation chief K Radhakrishnan on Friday said there may not have commercial orders right now from foreign customers other than SPOT-6 but the space agency is in discussions with global agencies for fabricating and launching satellites.
A panel of the Indian Space Research Organisation on Sunday indicted former ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair and three other scientists for acts of commission in the $ 300 million spectrum deal between commercial arm of the ISRO, Antrix and Devas Multimedia Ltd. In an interview with Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, Nair slammed the panel report and claimed that his name will soon be cleared.
In a belated action, defence public sector undertakings Bharat Electronics Limited has removed former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair from its Board of Directors as he was barred from holding any government post for his role in the controversial Antrix-Devas deal.
Nair, who has been barred from holding any government post for his alleged role in the controversial Antirx-Devas deal, was in Patna on Friday to bid farewell to his colleagues.
Former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair and three fellow space scientists against whom the government has taken damning action in the controversial Antrix-Devas deal were "thrown out like garbage", said Prof C N R Rao, head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the prime minister.
Former Indian Space Research Organisation chairman G Madhavan Nair on Monday said he would file an appeal under the Right To Information Act by Tuesday seeking reasons for blacklisting him from government jobs even as he reposed faith in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to revoke his ban order. "I will file the appeal on Monday or Tuesday (before the Central Information Commission)," he said.
India on Wednesday successfully launched a record 104 satellites -- all but three of them foreign--from Sriharikota and put them into orbit in a single mission onboard its most dependable Polar rocket.
A top aerospace scientist has quit as the member of the Space Commission to protest the government's decision to blacklist former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair and three other scientists over the controversial Antrix-Devas deal. "We submitted the report after identifying the lapses and suggested measures to make sure that they do not happen again. We found no evidence of wrong-doing or fraud or personal gain," Professor Roddam Narasimha said.
Eminent space scientist G Madhavan Nair on Thursday disapproved move by scientists and writers to return their awards alleging "growing intolerance" in the country, and dubbed their action as a mere "show".
On the positive side, if India indeed decides to go ahead with the manned mission, it would give a tremendous impetus to the development of many new technologies, including relating to life-supporting ones.
Picking holes in the high-level team report that indicted him in the Antrix-Devas deal, former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair on Sunday said it had "inconsistencies and inaccuracies" and attacked the Department of Space headed by his successor K Radhakrishnan for "cowardice" in releasing only "convenient portions".
The Indian Space Research Organisation row has intensified with its former chief G Madhavan Nair writing to the Prime Minister's Office to order an enquiry into the reasons behind the annulment of the controversial Antrix-Devas deal and the procedure followed, in a fresh salvo at his successor K Radhakrishnan.
Former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair and three other senior scientists, who were barred from holding any government posts, have been indicted by the country's top space body-appointed committee for acts of commission in the Antrix-Devas deal.
"We will have to study newer technologies to develop capsules, which will send men to space and bring them back safely"
The government is yet to take a call on former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair's request to the Prime Minister's Office to order an inquiry into the reasons behind annulment of the controversial Antrix-Devas deal and the procedure followed.
Indian Space Research Organisation Dr Radhakrishnan, who has been accused of waging a "personal battle" against him by former ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair, refuted the latter's claims in Bengaluru on Monday. Nair and three other scientists have been barred from holding any government posts because of their alleged role in the Antrix-Devas deal, in which the private firm was allotted scarce S band spectrum by ISRO by allegedly violating rules.
Former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair on Thursday rubbished suggestions of a scam in the scrapped controversial Antrix-Devas deal and maintained that estimation of huge loss to the exchequer is "totally erroneous".
The challenge before space scientists was to make exploration more affordable by substantially reducing the cost of access to space, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair said Saturday.
India and the US have agreed to cooperate in the exploration and use of space for peaceful purposes, including in human space flight, under an agreement signed between their space agencies.
The government on Thursday dismissed former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair's claims that he was not given a chance to give his views on the action taken against him in connection with controversial Antrix-Devas deal.
Former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair is pinning hopes on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to revoke the order banning him and three others from government jobs despite Union Minister V Narayanasamy ruling out its review, as he reiterated there is "no issue" vis-a-vis the Antrix-Devas deal.
The Department of Space is in the process of getting clearances for release of reports of two committees on the controversial Antrix-Devas deal, on the basis of which former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair and three other scientists were barred from holding any government posts. This was announced on Tuesday by ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan, who is also the DOS secretary, in a brief statement in his first comments on the issue.
Highlighting the achievements of ISRO, he said the organization, which had modest beginnings several decades ago, is trying to establish itself as the leading player in the area of satellite launches.
Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation, has signed an agreement with US-based Space Imaging to market and sell data worldwide.
The successful landing of the Moon Impact Probe on the lunar surface has not only boosted the confidence of ISRO to undertake inter-planetary travel in future, but also conveyed a firm message to the world that India means business in the field of space, ISRO chief G Madhavan Nair said in Bengaluru on Friday.
ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair acknowledged that with the booming IT sector absorbing young engineers with fat pay packets, other fields are facing the brunt.
ISRO will build an identical GSLV and a satellite similar to INSAT-4C for a launch in June next year.
New Delhi has targeted to boost the number of transponders India currently has from 199 to 500 by the end of the 11th five year plan (March 2012), Secretary in the Department of Space G Madhavan Nair said.
NASA plans to deploy mini-synthetic aperture radar and spectrometer with 0.3 micron to 0.9-micron capabilities in the Indian spacecraft for experiments.
A jubilant Nair was addressing a press conference at the ISRO headquarters in Bangalore on Friday after a NASA payload aboard the Chandrayaan-1 found Hydroxyl, a molecule consisting one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom, in the lunar soil.
Indian space scientists are designing a new generation satellite with unfurlable antenna for mobile television services - the proposed spacecraft would have multimedia applications as well.
Taking action in the controversial Antrix-Devas deal, the government has barred former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair and three other eminent space scientists from holding any government jobs.
India's first mission to Moon -- Chandrayan-I -- is tentatively scheduled to be launched on September 19 this year, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman Madhavan Nair said. He said that all the preparations have been nearly completed and the exact date of the launch will be decided within a month. He described September 19 as the 'earliest opportunity' for the historic launch. The final stage of integration of instruments with the spacecraft was going on.
"The level of education and knowledge being imparted by many colleges... they are not up to the mark. Instead of concentrating on quantity, these institutions should concentrate on quality," he told PTI in an interview.
Seeking to fend of attacks on his credentials in the Indian Space Research Organisation row, the space body's chief K Radhakrishnan on Tuesday said probe reports on Antrix-Devas deal that led to punitive action against his predecessor G Madhavan Nair and three fellow space scientists will be released after getting due clearance.
An agreement for the pilot project to see whether hydrogen can be used to fuel automobiles has been signed and the work started, said G Madhavan Nair, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation that builds satellites as also their launch vehicles.
