The first successful launch of the canister version of Agni-5 on January 31, that gave Indian defence forces the extra edge to fire the longest ballistic missile from anywhere, impacted the country’s top missile scientists in different ways.
While Avinash Chander, the outgoing Chief of DRDO, signed off in style with a big success on his last day in office, the day held an unpleasant surprise for the project director of Agni-5, R K Gupta, who has steered the project for the last couple of years.
In a sudden move, Gupta was shifted out of his responsibility a couple of days after the launch from Wheeler Island, where he along with Avinash Chander and other missile scientists had celebrated the success of the canisterised Agni-5, which can carry nuclear warheads beyond a range of 5,000 km.
Even as DRDO sources did not comment beyond stating that it was a regular transfer of responsibility, G Ram Guru, a deputy with R K Gupta, was appointed the new project director of Agni-5 from February 1.
Avinash Chander, was the programme director for the entire Agni range of missiles, which include Agni 1 to Agni-5. The Government had in a surprise move terminated the contract (to end on January 31) of Avinash Chander as Secretary, Defence Research and Development and Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri, nearly 15 month ahead of schedule.
As a minor controversy broke out at the way the top scientist from the DRDO was treated, the Defence Ministry announced that the senior-most scientist at the premier defence research establishment with 52 national labs, Tamilmani, would take charge till a new Chief was selected.
However, on January 30, a day before Avinash Chander demitted office, the Ministry notified that the Defence Secretary, R K Mathur would hold additional charge of the Secretary, Defence R&D, for three months from February 1 or until further orders.