Bangalore :

Three top-ranking scientists closely associated with ongoing aeronautical projects in Bangalore have just received tenure extensions.

Military sources confirmed to Express that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) approved two extensions late on Friday night. One had been approved earlier.

P S Subramanyam, director, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Dr K Tamilmani, director-general (Aero), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and Shyam Chetty, director, National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), will continue working on their projects from Bangalore. The government had to act swiftly as the tenure of Dr Tamilmani and Shyam were to end on Saturday. The PMO favours continuity in national projects. “It was of the opinion that ongoing defence projects should not be affected by the exit of senior scientists,” a Ministry of Defence (MoD) official said.

The decision gives Subramanyam (64) another year in office while Dr Tamilmani (62) and Shyam (60) get two years each.

All three scientists are working towards final operational clearance for the Tejas light combat aircraft. “This worked in favour of Subramanyam, associated with the project since 1986,” a DRDO official said.

The DRDO was backing Dr Tamilmani to tackle the aircraft’s certification challenges. “His expertise is not only critical for Tejas, but also for UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) and engine projects,” the official said.

For Shyam, the extension came in mainly because of his involvement with the National Civil Aircraft programme. “He has to lead the NAL team for this project. HAL has been given the mandate to undertake the design, development and manufacture of a 70 to 100-seat aircraft. NAL will play a critical role here,” the official said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Anantha Krishnan M / June  01st, 2014