DRDO's current manpower grossly insufficient for committed R&D projects: Parliamentary panel

The DRDO's current manpower is grossly insufficient for committed research and development projects and the Defence Ministry should take effective measures to augment the workforce, stated a report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence on Friday.

In its reply to the committee, the Defence Ministry said the Finance Ministry on April 24 last year had approved the proposal to augment the manpower in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) by 436 posts.  The report also said the Finance Ministry has advised the Defence Ministry to take fresh approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on creation of two senior posts - chief executive and chief construction engineer -- at the DRDO.

While the Standing Committee expressed its happiness about approval regarding 436 posts and proposal on creation of two new posts, the panel said it has not been "clearly apprised" about the progress made on increasing manpower. "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," said the committee's report tabled in Lok Sabha on Friday.

Presently, the authorised strength of scientists in DRDO is 7,353 while their existing strength 7,068, the report noted. "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," it said. The DRDO works under the Defence ministry only. The committee said more effective measures should be taken by the Defence Ministry to augment the workforce in the DRDO.