The Hindu Business Line : `Enhance pay packets for defence scientists, engineers'

NEW DEFENCE LAB: The Defence Minister, Mr A.K. Antony, addressing the media after the inauguration of the new campus of DRDO, Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) in Bangalore. Also seen from left are Mr V.S. Mahalingam, Director, CAIR; Mr M. Natarajan, Scientific Advisor to Defence Ministry; Mr N. Sitaram, Chief Controler, R&D, (ECS); Mr H.T. Sangliana, MP. - K. Gopinathan

Bangalore , Dec. 22

A talent poaching threat, especially for defence software scientists, has forced the defence R&D establishment to seek higher pay packages for them as well as explore a sustained pooling arrangement of sorts with the domestic software industry, according to its brass.

Mr M. Natarajan, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, on Friday said the Defence Research and Development Organisation that he heads was in talks with Nasscom for long-term partnerships of the human kind to develop vital futuristic ICT technologies for the Armed Forces.

At the inauguration of the new campus of a DRDO lab, the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), Mr Natarajan also urged the Defence Minister, Mr A.K. Antony, who was present, to enhance the pay packages of defence scientists and engineers. Recommendations have been made to make the compensation attractive and closer to private sector salaries; this was necessary to retain them and keep out dependence on foreign technologies in critical defence equipment, in particular encryption chips and secure information systems, he said.

The organisation was trying to stem the attrition in its labs, now 15-20 per cent but which is higher in the IT hubs of Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune. CAIR alone, he said, had 150 scientists in the 30-32 age group and they could be lured by lucrative private sector salaries that a defence lab cannot match.

"We look forward to the support of the Indian software industry in a big way. We have initiated a dialogue with Nasscom and have asked it to evolve a norm for us. A (defence) lab can only generate prototypes," Mr Natarajan said.

ANTONY'S CARROT & STICK

Mr Antony said questions have been raised on the style of functioning of the DRDO, whose human capital was "second to none." While the Government is ready to "invest appropriately" and support R&D activities, the organisations should shed old attitudes and ways of functioning; "The time has come to look inward and see whether the organisation is tuning itself adequately with the changing times," Mr Antony said.

INDUSTRY ROLE

Mr N. Sitaram, DRDO's Chief Controller R&D (Electronics and Computer Sciences) and until recently CAIR Director, said so far, software companies including TCS, Infosys, Wipro and NIIT have worked on a few time-bound projects on the basis of bids. The new plan is to borrow a dedicated pool from the industry work for the long term for its several upcoming application software projects such as sensor development and intelligent devices, warfare and battlefield systems for soldiers. The talks have just been opened and it may take a year to arrive at specific modalities with the industry, they said.

Most defence technologies have 15-20 per cent of software requirement and CAIR and nearly a dozen of DRDO 50 labs take care of these electronics and communication needs. CAIR has worked on secure information and communication technologies for battlefield use; these relate to encryption, speech biometrics, robotics, auto-processing of handwriting among others.

Talking about the competence of defence labs, Mr Antony said the DRDO's current programmes were crucial and had significantly enhanced the combat readiness of the forces. "Our vision is to expand the role and scope of DRDO and help it in its endeavour to equip the defence forces with cutting edge technology." He also said, "It must be ensured that financial, human and technological resources are not frittered away. We must think of ways and means of making the work culture more productive, professional and attractive in every sense of the term."

More Stories on : Human Resources | Software | Security

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
3 PILs on Singur acquisitions adjourned

Foreign investments up to 49 pc allowed in stock exchanges

External aid: Centre's move to help special category States

Govt move to allow export fails to cheer sugar stocks

`Enhance pay packets for defence scientists, engineers'