New Delhi: The DRDO Wednesday constituted a five-member committee, headed by the IIT-Delhi director, to overhaul its 52 laboratories for current and future defence and battlefield needs.
Tasked to submit a report within 45 days, the committee is aimed at streamlining the labs and bringing about a change in how the Defence Research and Development Organisation works, defence officials said.
The members of the committee, which will be headed by IIT-Delhi director professor V. Ramagopal Rao, are S. Somnath, director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Air Marshal Sandeep Singh, Deputy Chief of Air Staff, Dr Samir V. Kamat, Director General-Naval Systems & Materials (NS&M) and Benjamin Lionel, director, Instruments Research & Development Establishment of DRDO.
Not the first time
This is the second attempt being made in recent years to overhaul the DRDO, which has often been criticised for its slow pace of work.
In 2008, a committee was formed under P. Rama Rao, former secretary, Department of Science and Technology.
The committee had then recommended far-reaching changes, which involved the DRDO focusing on core technology areas rather than non-core areas like making mosquito repellent and even juices.
Based on the recommendations, the DRDO’s management was made leaner and its 52 labs were brought to form seven clusters like electronic warfare, armaments, aeronautical systems and life science, among others.
DRDO chief Satheesh Reddy received a two-year extension Monday.
The DRDO Monday also submitted before Defence Minister Rajnath Singh a list of items to be made in India. They included mini and micro UAVs, missile canisters, marine rocket launchers and satellite navigation receivers.
The government had earlier this month brought out a list of 101 defence items that have been put in an import embargo list.
Also read: DRDO develops product to prevent spread of air droplets to doctors from Covid-19 patients