The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : ISRO scouting for talents, says Annadurai

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ISRO scouting for talents, says Annadurai

Staff Reporter

Commitments going up, manpower coming down, experienced people leaving the organisation

Photo: M. Govarthan

Inspiring minds: Chandrayaan-I Project Director M. Annadurai interacts with audience at the Bhannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam. –

SATHYAMANGALAM: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is concerned about and addressing the issue of manpower shortage, Chandrayaan-I Project Director Mylswamy Annadurai has said.

Talking to journalists on the sidelines of a function the Bannari Amman Institute of Technology organised here on Saturday he said: “While ISRO’s commitments are going up, the manpower is coming down in that experienced people are leaving us. And, somewhere along the line we have failed to reach out to fresh talent.”

Stating that it was a cause for concern, he continued: “We need to think about retaining talent and also attracting fresh talent. And, we are at it.”

At present the ISRO staff numbered 13,000, which included canteen staff and driver, while the number of Americans working on a shuttle was 10,000. “This is inadequate. Ideally, we would like to have one-and-half times more the number.”

To draw the talents required, Mr. Annadurai felt Chandrayaan-I would help because “it has created awareness about India’s space programme and the ISRO. This, I think, is one way of drawing talent.”

The second way of attracting best minds, the Project Director continued, was to go scouting to top-notch engineering institutions for talents, which ISRO was doing.

He added that there was also a third way of attracting fresh minds in space exploration. “This is through industries, to which when ISRO outsources some portion of the manufacturing process, new jobs will be created. This is the indirect job creation process,” Mr. Annadurai said and added that it would also lead to development of aerospace industry in the country as well.

ISRO, he pointed out, had outsourced 30 per cent of the manufacturing process of Chandrayaan-I, which cost nearly 400 crore. “A similar exercise for Chandrayaan-II will be done.”

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