Age crucial factor for next Isro chief, 3 in race

BENGALURU: Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose between Alur Selin Kiran Kumar and Dr  M.Y.S. Prasad, both with a string of extraordinary achievements against their names and who occupy the top rungs in terms of seniority, or a younger face to lead the Indian space programme?

The selection of new Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) could be dicey because the process seems riddled with many ifs and buts. Of these two space scientists, Mr Kiran Kumar, director, Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, has been serving as a Member of the Space Commission, but was  “re-employed” on contract after an extension of service ended late last year.

He has designed instruments for a wide array of satellites, beginning with the first remote sensing satellite ‘Bhaskara’ in late 70s to Chandrayaan-I (2008) and the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) which was launched in 2013.

On the other hand, Dr. M Y S Prasad, director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota Range, has dealt with satellite technology and rocketry, and was responsible for setting up Disaster Management Communication System, a satellite based communication network to connect all organisations which monitor or forecast disasters, including all state capitals and top level national executives.

He, too, has crossed 60 but has been serving on extension. Both Mr. Kiran Kumar and Dr Prasad received the Padma Shri award last year.  

Official sources said the names of these two scientists were suggested from among directors of eight facilities of ISRO by former chairman Dr. K. Kasturirangan and Dr Rajagopalan Chidambaram, principal scientific advisor, to the Union government.

The hitch, however, was the NDA government's decision to keep anyone beyond 60 years away from key posts. In case the government decides to stick to this rule, the choice could be Dr. K. Sivan, director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, who has played a key role in ISRO's rocketry programme including the technology demonstrator of Reusable Launch Vehicle.

Sources in ISRO, however, maintained that both Dr K Radhakrishnan and Mr. G. Madhavan Nair were past 60 when they took over as Chairman and continued till they were over 65 years as the Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy were governed by a different set of rules.

Therefore, the new head of ISRO could be somebody beyond 60 years. An ex chief of ISRO said Dr. Radhakrishnan’s successor should have been chosen two years ago.