Isro scientist shunted out due to questioning private role
New Delhi, July 21: ISRO chairman K. Sivan has moved out Tapan Misra, the director of one its crucial branches, to Bengaluru and appointed him as its advisor, an official said today.
There is a buzz that the senior scientist was shunted out due to his differences with Sivan over the increasing role of private entities in the different areas of Isro’s operations.
However, an official said the director of the Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad was moved to the headquarters and has been given “the position of an advisor”. D. K. Das, another senior scientist, has replaced Misra.
Known for making some important satellites of the country, Misra is one of the top contenders to head the Indian Space Research Organisation ( Isro) in future.
For instance, A. S. Kiran Kumar was the head of the Space Applications Centre before becoming the Isro chief. Similarly, the incumbent Isro chief was the director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.
Isro has several branches that work in very niche areas and usually the head of these centres is appointed as the head of the organisation.
So, there is a speculation that Misra’s removal may hurt his prospects. However, the official added that there was no co- relation with Misra’s transfer to the headquarters and his career progression.