Bharat Rakshak

"Today I saw a news item...somebody (Narayanasamy) saying that we want to teach the scientists a lesson," Nair said. "It's a big blow to the scientific community." "At least scientists are doing something. You also want them to shut-off? It's very strange," he said.

Eminent scientist Dr PM Bhargava added, “It is a very sad day for Indian Science. We must know the complete details of the deal and the way the investigation has been done before coming to conclusions.”

Slamming Union Minister V Narayanasamy for his remarks on scientists over the controversial Antrix-Devas deal issue, former ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair yesterday said it reminded him of medieval times when Galileo was imprisoned for his scientific bservations.

Former ISRO chief G Madhavan Nair and three fellow space scientists against whom Government has taken damning action in the controversial Antrix-Devas deal were "thrown out like garbage", said Prof C N R Rao, Head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.

Mincing no words, an angry Rao while putting his weight behind Nair also slammed V Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, for his stand on the ISRO row.

"People who have served the country, served the organisation for long, you cannot throw them like garbage. That's what they have done. They have literally thrown them out of the window like garbage", Rao told PTI today, voicing outrage at the action.

"They have not treated corrupt persons in politics, in public life like that. Why only scientists have been picked
up?", asked Rao, also Honorary President of Bangalore-based Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.

"Is this the way to treat anybody? Nobody will work for these (government) organisations if this is the way they are treated", Rao, a renowned scientist, said.

NEW DELHI: The Centre may have annulled the Antrix-Devas deal a year ago and, more recently, blacklisted ex-ISRO chief Madhavan Nair and three others, but it appears to be holding back from taking penal action for the procedural lapses in signing the agreement.

The Department of Space (DoS) had in July 2011 conveyed to the inquiry committee set up to probe the Antrix-Devas deal a long list of "lapses in the decision-making process" that led to signing of the Antrix-Devas deal.


Pointing to "non-transparency" right from the signing of the deal, the DoS note, a copy of which is with the ET, pointed out how only four of the eight members on Antrix Board had approved the deal with Devas, with no agenda regarding the agreement being circulated in advance. "A full discussion and examination of the agenda notes was pre-empted on the issuea¦.the matter was dealt in an unseemly hurry, since Devas had been incorporated only a week prior to the board meeting," it was pointed out.

The DoS note also raised questions on how "complete trust was put in the capabilities of Forge Advisors USA," which set up Devas Multimedia, when it "did not possess intellectual property rights (IPRs) and had no material to show that it could develop technologies for hybrid digital communication."

Also, DoS claimed that ICC was bypassed while earmarking satellite capacity on Insat systems for use of Devas. Though policy guidelines for use of INSAT capacity by private sector providers postulated its use on a non-exclusive basis, 90% of the transponder capacity on satellites GSAT 6 and GSAT 6A were reserved for use by Devas alone. The proposal to allocate the valuable S-band spectrum to a private player was described by DoS as "an unjustified risk from the security point of view." It said as much as 60% of the total usable spectrum of 80 MHz was allocated for use by a private player like Devas, when countries like Japan and the US were using only 20-25 MHz for providing satellite services.

DoS maintained that Antrix-Devas deal made a rigid commitment of timeline of three years by Antrix, failing which penalty was to be levied for every month of delay with a cap of $5 million beyond 12 months and liability for breach of contract.

"This was agreed even when the product in question was not even fabricated on the day of signing of the agreement, and such fabrication involved the approval of the Space Commission and the Cabinet," said DoS note, "approved by the chairman of the high level team".

DoS further pointed out how, when Space Commission met to clear construction of Gsat 6, it was not apprised of the fact that 90% of the satellite transponder capacity had already been committed for Devas. Also, when Devas exercised its option for the second satellite in June 2007 and Space Commission met to clear fabrication of Gsat-6A, no details regarding its commercial utilisation were provided to the commission.

Conveying the lack of transparency in procedures, DoS found that there was "misrepresentation of facts" in the note to the Cabinet that said ISRO had received several firm expressions of interest by service providers for utilization of the satellite capacity on commercial terms. "Even the financial outlay for GSAT 6A was kept below the 150 crore threshold to do away with the need for Cabinet approval," DoS said.

Interestingly, DoS' earlier note to the Cabinet Committee on Security that annulled the deal did not raise these procedural lapses. The note for the CCS - a copy of which is in the possession of ET - had only cited the increased demand for S-band spectrum for "strategic and societal needs" for cancelling the contract with Devas. "Taking note of the fact that government policies with regard to the allocation of spectrum have undergone a change in the last few years and there has been an increased demand for allocation of spectrum for national needs, including needs of defence, para-military forces, railways and other public utility services as well as societal needs...the government will not be able to provide orbit slot on S-band to Antrix for commercial activities," the note to the CCS had said.

"Even the financial outlay for GSAT 6A was kept below the 150 crore threshold to do away with the need for Cabinet approval," DoS said.

The Economic Times - Antrix-Devas deal: Government yet to take action against those responsible
What sticks out like a sore thumb to me is this part:


Launch opportunities in India are rare. It would make sense to me that we'd make the heaviest satellite we can launch ourselves to take full advantage of the launch opportunity. I expect the heavier satellites to be more expensive. Also, if 90% of a satellite's capacity is for private use, I also also expect that satellite to have a profit margin. In comparison, GSAT-12 costs 90 crore for the launch and 80 crore for the satellite [1,410 kg] with a total cost of 170 crores, i.e. well over the 150 crore threshold. So how did we commit to a cheap GSAT 6a at less than 150 crores, i.e. 147 crores to be precise, when 90% of it is for private use?

I don't mean to rake up dirt, but I don't think this is just an ego clash we're talking about here. This isn't just political vendetta.

So what and who is Devas that got such a sweetheart deal? They keep saying its a NRI firm. Do they have name for the principals in that firm?

I think there is black lentils.

Is it ok to publish such personal information in this website. Interested people could share it via mail or so, the names of the principals are on the Devas website itself.

My only objection was home addresses being listed. I have no issue with naming them in a list.

They have any expertise in wireless/satellite based telecom?

In January 2010 press reports indicated the imminent launch of the Ofeq 8, but these reports failed to materialize. Few months later, press reports in India indicated an Israeli satellite was hastily removed from the Indian GSLV-D3 satellite launcher, days before the planned launch. Eventually, on April 16, the launcher failed to carry an Indian communications satellite into orbit.

Glitch in INSAT 4B
On July 7, 2010, ISRO has reported a glitch in the operation of INSAT 4B. Power was not flowing from one of the solar panels to the satellite bus from July 7 night, which led to switching off 50 per cent of the transponders on board the satellite. ISRO engineers said the glitch could have developed because a relay that transferred power from the solar panel to the satellite bus could have “misbehaved” or the wires connecting the panel to the satellite could have snapped.[9]
China-Stuxnet Connection
American cyber warfare expert Jeffrey Carr, who specialises in investigations of cyber attacks against government, mentioned in his interview with The Times of India, that the reason for this power glitch may have been an infection by the sophisticated Stuxnet worm.[10]

First flight test of the ISRO designed and built Cryogenic Upper Stage. Failed to reach orbit due to malfunction of Fuel Booster Turbo Pump (FBTP) of the Cryogenic Upper Stage.[17]

I was told C band is weather impervious and not subject to interruption by rain etc.

Am I reading too much into this?

Tarmak has added a bunch of interesting blog posts. Pasting one regarding RISAT-1: http://www.tarmak007.blogspot.com/2012/02/isro-marshals-its-forces-towards-risat.html

Fantastic news - good luck and god speed!

Couple of poochs:

a) Why is the weight of RISAT-1 about 6 times that of RISAT-2. Interestingly, the wattage requirement of RISAT-1 is about 6 times that of TecSAR as well. Has it got to do with the C-band versus X-band radar? Or is it that Israel is far ahead in miniaturization

b) Any advantages/disadvantages of C versus X band? I get the feeling that we went for a C-band radar satellite because the INSAT/GSAT series uses C-band and so, we have experience and commonality. I'd assume a X band would offer finer resolution but dont know if its a function of the frequency or the sensitivity of the transmit-receive modules.

My guess would be RISAT-1 is AESA radar and was an overreach, which delayed the project for some time. Israeli sat is conventional radar as well as benefits from Israeli lighter electronics. Satellites launched by PSLV are getting lighter, which seems like Israeli help/input.

“The SAR, being an active radar sensor, operating in the microwave region of electromagnetic spectrum, has the unique capability of imaging in all weather conditions. The SAR payload is based on an active phased array technology using transmit/receive (TR) modules, which would provide necessary electronic agility for achieving the multi-mode capability, providing spatial resolutions of one m to 50 m, and a swath of 10 to 240 km catering to multiple applications,” said an aide along with Radhakrishnan, who preferred not to be quoted.

The panels have noted that Devas was established in December 2004 by US-based Forge Advisors with a share capital of Rs 1 lakh, and two shareholders — Venugopal D, a former Isro scientist, who had 9,000 shares and Umesh M, who had 1,000 shares, indicating a face value of Rs 10 per share.
{Venugopal has 90% of the equity and Umesh 10%}

The Antrix-Devas agreement was signed in January 2005, and by December of that year the ordinary share capital had increased to over Rs 5 lakh, with 12 shareholders, including three members of the team that had made presentations to Isro and two Mauritius-based entities.

By March 2010, Devas had 17 shareholders, including Deutsche Telecom, holding 20 per cent, the two Mauritius-based entities, holding 17 per cent each, and M.G. Chandrasekhar, another ex-Isro scientist, holding 19 per cent, with the largest holdings among other shareholders.

In 2007-08, Venugopal and the team divested part of their original shareholdings to the Mauritius-based entities and stood to earn a profit ranging from Rs 2 crore to Rs 7.4 crore each on the shares divested.

For Devas, a company with no asset base and no intellectual property or patent in the relevant technology, and making losses since its inception, to collect Rs 578 crore as share premium from foreign investors “appears to be unusual and can only be attributed to the agreement that it had with Antrix”, the panel chaired by former chief vigilance commissioner Pratyush Sinha observed in the report released by Isro on Saturday.

The other panel, with aerospace scientist Roddam Narasimha and former cabinet secretary B.K. Chaturvedi as members, has remarked that the original proposal envisaging development and innovation by former Isro scientists seems to have been diluted through these changes.

The entry of the foreign telecom companies with huge premiums indicated that they had “used this as an opportunity” to enter the Indian telecom market, the Chaturvedi-Narasimha panel said. “This was not an intended purpose of the original agreement.”

“There have been not only serious administrative and procedural lapses, but also (a) suggestion of collusive behaviour on the part of certain individuals,” the panel chaired by Sinha noted in its report.

The panel had recommended that an appropriate investigative agency should look into the extent to which the increase in share value has been encashed by the individuals, the shareholding pattern of the company and of the Mauritius-based entities.

A committee comprising B.K. Chaturvedi and Roddam Narasimha that went into the controversial deal has ruled out cheap selling of spectrum by Antrix to Bangalore-based Devas.

"Concerns of cheap selling of spectrum to Devas have no basis whatsoever. Space spectrum is not comparable to terrestrial spectrum. Devas was also required to obtain licences from Department of Telecommunications, Department of Information Broadcasting for providing services to customers and would have to pay, apart from transponder leasing charges, other charges which would be determined by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) based on consultation mechanism," the committee declared.

Portions of the report were made public Saturday night by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Some portions of the Chaturvedi-Narasimha panel have been withheld under Section 8 (1) (a) of Right to Information Act 2005.

As per the deal, Antrix was to provide 70 MHz S-Band spectrum to Devas, which is into multimedia services. Antrix would provide the spectrum by leasing out transponders of two satellites to be built mainly for Devas.

The CAG estimated the loss to the exchequer to the tune of Rs.2 lakh crore because of the deal. The centre later scrapped the controversial deal.

Indian space agency ISRO Saturday also made public only the conclusions and recommendations of a report by a five-member panel led by former Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) Pratyush Sinha.

On the basis of the Sinha panel's recommendations, the government Jan 13 debarred the four space scientists from holding any government post or being on an any official committees. The four are former ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair; A. Bhaskaranarayana, former scientific secretary at ISRO; K.R. Sridharamurthi, former executive director of Antrix, the commercial arm of ISRO; and K.N. Shankara, former director of the ISRO satellite centre.

The committee also recommended actions under pension rules against retired officials S.S. Meenakshisundaram and Veena Rao, and against G. Balachandran and R.G. Nadadur under the relevant service rules.

A view has gained ground that a witch hunt is on against the four retired space scientists.

Asked about this, Narayanasamy said: "The government is not discriminating between retired space scientists and serving IAS officials. We will take action against the serving officers based on their culpability in the whole issue. Action will be taken in stages after studying in detail."

However, he declined to reveal the reasons for making public only selective portions of the two reports.

A top source said portions of the report that have been withheld consist of cabinet notes and others dealing with internal security which is not for the public.

ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan told reporters in Bangalore Monday: "Whatever I have to say is up in the report. I have nothing more to say. There is nothing personal in this."

Refuting Nair's charge that he was not given an opportunity to be heard by the Sinha panel, Narayanasamy said: "The committee report clearly states that Nair had met Sinha apart from submitting his views in writing. Other people had given their views in writing to the panel."

He also did not agree with the general view that ISRO's activities have slowed down over the past two years.

"It is a wrong impression. I myself have witnessed two successful rocket launches. The failure of two GSLV (geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle) launches is owing to problems in the rocket's cryogenic engine," Narayanasamy said.

Expressing surprise at the odd timing (late Saturday) of releasing the probe reports on the official websites of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the space department, Nair said a quick look at the salient points and conclusions arrived at clearly shows that the inquiry was not based on factual information and many things have been considered out of context.

"For instance, issues related to launch of satellites, leasing of transponders and spectrum pricing mechanism have not been dealt as per the rules and regulations," Nair said.

The probe reports have held Nair and three other space scientists responsible for serious irregularities and procedural lapses in signing the $300-million contract in 2005 to allot 70MHz of the scarce S-band spectrum (radio waves) to the Bangalore-based Devas Multimedia Services Ltd for digital services using ISRO's transponders.

On the recommendation of the Sinha committee, Nair said the panel had made the recommendations with little knowledge of space business.

"A committee headed by a former IPS (Indian Police Service) officer does not understand space business. Its conclusions are distorted. Its report too should have been released in full to ascertain the basis of its recommendations for action against us," Nair retorted.

Clarifying that the deal was not to solely benefit Devas, Nair said the contract was to ensure a decent return to the government even at the risk of using new technology at a time when India was still under the sanctions regime.

"When the deal was signed (in 2005), we were still under the embargo of the US and other western nations for the Pokhran-II nuclear test in May 1999. Only Devas came forward to provide a host of digital multimedia services using space-based radio waves. The government was also in favour of using space assets for the benefit of the country," Nair observed.