ID :
30949
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 19:45
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/30949
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DRDO to offer "contract system" of employment
New Delhi, Nov 18 (PTI) To arrest the high rate of attrition in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the government is working out a plan to allow recruitment of scientists on a "contract" basis instead of regular employment to augment its human resources.
The contract scheme is also aimed at attracting talent
among Non-Resident Indian (NRIs) scientists employed in
research agencies abroad to DRDO, which at present has
workforce of over 7,000 scientists.
"The government is currently considering a proposal
from the DRDO to allow recruitment of scientists on a five-
year contract. This will help improve the manpower shortage
levels in the scientific agency," top DRDO officials told PTI
Tuesday.
Once the government approves the plan, DRDO will begin
hiring scientists on a "consolidated pay" basis that is
expected to draw domestic and NRI scientists "not wanting to
get bogged down by regular employment" to the research agency,
the officials said.
"The idea is to attract talent. Those from scientific
institutions such as the IIT and IISc who may want to be with
DRDO. This contract system of hiring is to draw these talents
to the field of defence research. Their monthly pay would be
better than that of regular employees, as they will not be
entitled for other benefits," officials added.
With DRDO reporting resignations from 785 scientists in
the last three months, the attrition rate, officials admit, is
quite high. The government had also stated that 1,159 junior
level scientists had left the DRDO in the last five years.
But the government has claimed that the high rate of
resignations by scientists did not have much impact on
completion of the premier research organisation's projects.
However, DRDO Chief Controller of Research and
Development (ECS) R Sreehari Rao recently admitted that
scientists leaving the organisation had hit projects at DRDO's
research labs in both Hyderabad and Bangalore.
The government also attributed the high rate of attrition
in the DRDO to greener pastures in the private sector, though
the exit forms of the personnel cited "personal and domestic"
grounds as the reason.
To arrest the increasing attrition rate in the DRDO, the
government, however, is already implementing various schemes
and career-development programmes for DRDO scientists to
retain talent and attract more, particularly NRIs expressing
interest in returning to India and working for research
organisations here.
The government has offered various incentives for
scientists in the Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC) report,
which included providing career enhancement opportunities to
scientists by granting them study leaves, sending them to
attend conferences and seminars and long term training
courses.
DRDO was also providing study leaves to scientists for
acquiring higher qualifications like PhDs and Masters Degrees.
Scientists are being sponsored to go and attend conferences
and seminars and for long-term courses for research both
within and outside the country. PTI
The contract scheme is also aimed at attracting talent
among Non-Resident Indian (NRIs) scientists employed in
research agencies abroad to DRDO, which at present has
workforce of over 7,000 scientists.
"The government is currently considering a proposal
from the DRDO to allow recruitment of scientists on a five-
year contract. This will help improve the manpower shortage
levels in the scientific agency," top DRDO officials told PTI
Tuesday.
Once the government approves the plan, DRDO will begin
hiring scientists on a "consolidated pay" basis that is
expected to draw domestic and NRI scientists "not wanting to
get bogged down by regular employment" to the research agency,
the officials said.
"The idea is to attract talent. Those from scientific
institutions such as the IIT and IISc who may want to be with
DRDO. This contract system of hiring is to draw these talents
to the field of defence research. Their monthly pay would be
better than that of regular employees, as they will not be
entitled for other benefits," officials added.
With DRDO reporting resignations from 785 scientists in
the last three months, the attrition rate, officials admit, is
quite high. The government had also stated that 1,159 junior
level scientists had left the DRDO in the last five years.
But the government has claimed that the high rate of
resignations by scientists did not have much impact on
completion of the premier research organisation's projects.
However, DRDO Chief Controller of Research and
Development (ECS) R Sreehari Rao recently admitted that
scientists leaving the organisation had hit projects at DRDO's
research labs in both Hyderabad and Bangalore.
The government also attributed the high rate of attrition
in the DRDO to greener pastures in the private sector, though
the exit forms of the personnel cited "personal and domestic"
grounds as the reason.
To arrest the increasing attrition rate in the DRDO, the
government, however, is already implementing various schemes
and career-development programmes for DRDO scientists to
retain talent and attract more, particularly NRIs expressing
interest in returning to India and working for research
organisations here.
The government has offered various incentives for
scientists in the Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC) report,
which included providing career enhancement opportunities to
scientists by granting them study leaves, sending them to
attend conferences and seminars and long term training
courses.
DRDO was also providing study leaves to scientists for
acquiring higher qualifications like PhDs and Masters Degrees.
Scientists are being sponsored to go and attend conferences
and seminars and for long-term courses for research both
within and outside the country. PTI
