The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) got a year-end surprise when the government appointed Shailesh Nayak, a rank outsider, as an interim chairman of the organisation on Wednesday following the retirement of the present chief K Radhakrishnan.
The appointment has taken many senior scientists by shock and surprise. A senior scientist told FPJ that instead of appointing Nayak as the chairman for a month, the government could have as well given a one-month extension for Radhakrishnan.
Radhakrishnan was given an extension early this year.
Sources said the government is trying to get the right person to head ISRO. If it fails to do so, Nayak may get an extension.
Nayak is not a space or rocket scientist. He is a geologist from MS University, Baroda, and had served ISRO till 2000. He was earlier the director of Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (Incois), Hyderabad.
Sources said Satish Dhawan Space Centre director M Y S Prasad and Space Application Centre director Kiran Kumar were tipped to succeed Radhakrishnan. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have other ideas or found the two scientists not capable to head ISRO.
Months before Radhakrishnan was due to retire, the government had appointed a search committee headed by former ISRO chairman U R Rao. Nayak”s appointment is a clear indication that the government rejected the names put up by the panel.
