Inadequate manpower for the committed R&D projects: Parliamentary panel on DRDO

Photo Credits: ANI

The current manpower for the DRDO’s already committed research and development projects has been found to be grossly inadequate in number and for that the Defence Ministry needs to take effective measures to increase the workforce, according to the report released on Friday by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence.

While replying to the Committee, the Defence Ministry said the Finance Ministry had given an approval on April 24 last year the proposal for increasing the manpower in the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) via 4366 posts.

The report revealed the Finance Ministry had given the recommendation to the Defence Ministry for getting a recent approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) over curating two senior posts for DRDO which include chief executive and chief construction engineer.

The Standing Committee was content regarding the 436 posts and the proposal of two more posts, the panel mentioned that it has not been clearly apprised regarding the progress and the current status about the increasing in the manpower.

The report of the Committee on Friday in the session said, “The issue of augmentation of manpower especially of scientists in the Defence Research and Development Organisation is of vital importance given that DRDO has been managing with same authorisation in spite of more than six-fold increase in outlay from 9th to 13th plan.”

Currently, DRDO comprises of 7,353 scientists who are authorized, though the existing strength accounts to 7,068, as per the report.

The report added, “The percentage of scientists in DRDO is 30 per cent of the total strength of DRDO… The committee note that the current manpower is grossly insufficient for committed R&D projects.”

The DRDO is a wing under the Defence ministry. The committee revealed that more effective measures regarding the increase in the workforce for DRDO will be given by Defence Ministry.   

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