Government softens stand on tainted ISRO scientists

The Centre which has so far maintained a tough stand on former Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chairman G Madhavan Nair and three other space scientists after they were indicted by the two Antrix-Devas probe committees, on Friday appeared to have softened its stand.

Speaking to reporters in the sidelines of the CII India Corporate and Investor Meet, union minister for corporate affairs, Veerappa Moily said issues pertaining to the ban imposed on the four eminent space scientists from holding any government posts for their alleged procedural lapses in the Antrix-Devas deal cannot be dealt with lightly.

“We have to treat the scientific community as a national asset and that national asset cannot be taken lightly,” he said.

Moily, referring to the High Powered Review Committee members BK Chaturvedi and Roddam Narsimha’s statements on the Antrix-Devas deal said even their report had not pointed at anything criminal nor at any misappropriation in the deal.