New Delhi, 24 August (H.S.): Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has accused the Central government of moving towards the aggressive privatisation of India’s space programme, raising concerns over the future role of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He alleged that efforts were underway to curtail ISRO’s role in rocket development and manufacturing and transfer several of its satellite-related resources to private companies.

In a post on social media platform X on Monday, Ramesh said reports that have emerged over the past few days regarding ISRO’s future role in the country’s space programme had raised serious and legitimate concerns. He said ISRO had built its capabilities and expertise over the past six decades through the relentless efforts of generations of scientists and technologists.

The Congress general secretary said that, as in the nuclear energy sector, the Modi government was pursuing an aggressive privatisation agenda in the space sector. He claimed that the initiative was being driven from the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister’s Office itself.

He alleged that ISRO’s presence in rocket development and manufacturing was being substantially curtailed and that several of its satellite-related resources were being prepared for transfer to private companies. Referring to the second spaceport being developed in Tamil Nadu, he said ISRO was spending around Rs. 1,000 crore on the project, but reports had also emerged that it could eventually be handed over to a private company.

Ramesh said these developments had also raised questions about the future of the historic space centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

He said ISRO had made the country proud and that the Prime Minister himself had on several occasions taken credit for its achievements. While startups operating in the space sector should be encouraged and supported, he questioned why there was a need to weaken ISRO, which had maintained productive partnerships with the private sector for a long time.

Ramesh claimed that around 100 to 120 key professionals had left ISRO over the past few months, suggesting that they may have anticipated the changes that were coming.

He also said a former ISRO chairman, who had joined the BJP in October 2018 after being impressed by the Prime Minister, had expressed serious concerns over the organisation’s latest privatisation drive. He questioned why the other five living former ISRO chairpersons had not spoken out on what he described as an important issue.

The Congress general secretary clarified that he was not opposed to private-sector participation in the space programme. However, he said concerns were bound to arise over any move that could undermine ISRO’s institutional capacity, expertise and central role in the country’s space programme.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar