New Delhi: Defending the controversial termination of DRDO chief Avinash Chander, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said he had recommended that a younger person should hold the post.
"I had recommended that this position should not be held by a person on contract. We should introduce in scientific world, slightly younger generation," Parrikar told reporters.
"At these senior positions, they should not be on contract," he said while replying to a volley of questions.
The sudden termination of Chander's contract last night with effect from January 31 this year has triggered a controversy. He had retired on November 30 last on attaining the age of 64 years and was given a contract for 18 months till May 31 next year.
The government has not named his successor yet. Asked who will head DRDO, he said the senior-most person of the cluster head will hold the post temporarily.
"There are so many eligible, (someone) should be brought among them. We will find out someone good from the DRDO, who has the urge for development," he said.
Even as he said that he had recommended the step, Parrikar claimed that he "got the information from you, from paper and TV", when asked if the sudden termination of Chander without informing him was right.
The Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last night "approved termination" of the contract of Chander with effect from January 31.
Chander, who was Secretary, Defence Research and Development cum Director General, DRDO and Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, had joined DRDO in 1972 after completing graduation in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. He was the chief architect of Agni series of ballistic missile systems.
The move comes against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment that the 'laid back' attitude in the DRDO will not be tolerated.
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