ISRO employees write to chairperson, seeking clarification over proposed plan to transfer ops; Congress slams Centre
At least nine employee associations at ISRO have written to Chairperson V Narayanan, seeking clarification about their future at the agency, which is reportedly planning to transfer some of its operations to private companies. Congress has slammed the Centre over the proposed transfer.
At least nine employee associations at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), including the ISRO Staff Association and various regional branches, have written to ISRO Chairperson V Narayanan seeking clarification on the agency's proposed plan to transfer certain manufacturing and operational responsibilities to private companies.
The letter, dated September 4, expressed concerns over the future role of ISRO, the impact on current employees and future recruitment, and the necessity for transparent, accountable, and strategic considerations in technology transfer. The associations highlighted comments made by Pawan Goenka, chairperson of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), who reportedly stated that ISRO will eventually not manufacture launch vehicles, a claim the employee associations rejected without official confirmation.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticized the government for potentially limiting ISRO's role in favor of promoting startups, expressing concern over the transfer of decades of ISRO's capabilities to potentially unstable private entities. The employee associations also inquired about the retention of key launch vehicle programs (PSLV, LVM3, SSLV) and the future of ISRO's workforce, recruitment, and manpower across its various centers.
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