Padma Shri, Scientist

Born: 20 April 1947
Birthplace: Dhabarsi, a village near Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh

For me, India’s is a culture nurtured over thousands of years, much beyond the physical boundaries we see on the map. It is capable of assimilating different ways of life, forms of worship and ideologies while preserving the core values found in our ancient books, such as the common good of mankind and uplift of the self for inner peace.

I left my home early on and went to Jodhpur for my secondary education and BE, to IISc-Bengaluru for my master’s, joined ISRO in Thiruvananthapuram and returned to Bengaluru to work on satellites. It was all so smooth that every place became home. I think it was that cultural integrity in diversity that made me look at India as a large home.

I had practically no ambitions to begin with; they just kept unfolding at every step. While studying at IISc, I developed a desire to work on rockets and was appointed to work on satellites at ISRO. Each new satellite required new technology to be developed and my R&D was part of this. Each projec was a challenge and opportunity to grow. Coming from a small village in UP, without any contacts, I became director of the Satellite Centre and member of the Space Commission at the age of 50. Then, I moved to Delhi as a secretary and transformed the Department of Ocean Development it into the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Had the Rajasthan government not given me a scholarship as a young man, I could not have got my degree in electrical engineering. My ME was also because of a scholarship. This country has given me everything. Sometimes I wonder whether I have given enough back. Perhaps this sentiment keeps me going and give me a desire to do more. I have been very lucky to join ISRO and work with leaders like Prof U R Rao and Prof Dhawan. If certain opportunities evaded me, there might have been good reasons. I do not attribute it to limitations of the system or the country.

Being associated with national security, I believe we are not making full use of our capabilities in space, cyber and technology. We as engineers and scientists have not given enough to our security apparatus. That is the only regret I have, though I believe I have contributed significantly. I hope to focus on this for next few years. For so long I played executive roles but now my contribution is in the form of advisory and policy inputs. I look deeper into societal issues and routinely interact with the Indian National Academy of Engineering, ISRO, DRDO, Ministry of Earth Sciences and National Institute of Advanced Studies.

Having been born the same year as India, I have made interesting observations growing up. I saw a bus at the age of eight, an electric bulb glowing at the age of nine and went to hostel in another village without electricity at the age of 10. We studied vacuum tube transistors in our BE and started using SSI (single system imaging) devices in the Aryabhata satellite (1975). When we launched Aryabhata, even the pins were imported. Introduction of the television before the Asian Games in 1982 was revolutionary. We were the first to get a hybrid computer for the APPLE spacecraft project that was a combination of analog and digital computer for simulations. Now, we are in the era of smartphones and wearable devices. I think our generation has seen the greatest evolution of technology.

However, India’s growth in human indices, GDP, infrastructure and general happiness has been slow compared to countries with similar parameters elsewhere. The world is competitive and nuanced, and absolute numbers tend to make no sense. We need faster growth in economy, infrastructure and employment generation, and as an ethical society.

What pains me sometimes is when I see alienation for minor differences in day-to-day practices in some sections of society or a divide on the basis of caste and religion. Though this is all owing to silly political play and will perhaps vanish as the democracy matures, the process is too slow.

So far we, the country and I, have grown together; while I have reached my plateau, the country must journey ahead at greater speed. The young generation is smart and with a little commitment, we have the potential to match the developed world. I am an optimist and believe that we will once again reach the highest GDP—India had the highest GDP in the world around the 7th century—in the next two to three decades.

While India marches ahead, the Government has to take a few crucial steps: weed out corruption at all levels; reduce its own role in running the country and eliminate the Licence Raj; and work on a long-term strategy to tackle external threats. The rest can be left to the people. The people in India are innovative and can take care of themselves. I believe India will regain its past glory as the ‘Golden Bird’.

Milestones

1968: Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from MBM College, Jodhpur

1970: Master’s in Electrical Engineering from IISc

1997: Appointed Director of ISRO Satellite Centre and led studies on the first Indian mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-1

2006: Appointed Secretary of the Department of Ocean Development, Ministry of
Earth Sciences

2008: Appointed First Chairman of the Earth Commission, a global forum for scientists

2011: Appointed to the DRDO Chair, RCI, Hyderabad

Current occupation: Dr Raja Ramanna Chair Professor at National Institute of Advanced Studies; Honorary Distinguished Professor at ISRO HQ; Chairman of Technology Advisory Board, Ministry of Earth Sciences; and advisor to Indian National Academy of Engineering

Illustration by Sanjhi Shah
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
August 2016

 
FLAVIA AGNES

AMAL ALLANA

JAHAR DAS

V K B NAIR

DR S Y QURAISHI

DR HIMANSHI SHELAT

DR LALJI SINGH

SHUVAPRASANNA

DR L SUBRAMANIAM