Antrix-Devas deal was like any other contract: Madhavan Nair

The controversial Antrix-Devas deal was identical to any other contract the ISRO had with commercial broadcasters such as Sun TV, Zee TV or Tata Sky, said G Madhavan Nair, former ISRO chief, now disgraced by the central government, barring him from holding any official positions with the Government of India.

As in the other contracts, this agreement only leased out transponders and there was absolute no question of a spectrum sale, he told Firstpost. Nair is bewildered by the government action because he cannot find any wrongdoing or change of practice other than what Antrix or ISRO had been following.

The most intriguing fact is that he, or the three other scientists who have been ‘blacklisted’ along with him, had not been asked for an explanation by the committee(s) that investigated the deal and recommended action. Neither does he know the “terms of reference (TOR)” of the committees and the reasons for their action. Interestingly, the order barring him has been signed by an officer without any jurisdiction over personnel affairs. In other words, “due process has not been followed.”

“The biggest crime that is accused on us is that we didn’t keep the government informed about the contract with Devas,” Nair said. But as per the Antrix bylaws, we are not required to inform the government about every single contract we sign. We are answerable only to the Board,” he said. Going by this logic, “every contract that the Indian Oil Corporation or BHEL signs should be intimated to the government,” he said. “It is a silly reason”.

Targeted without any explanation or opportunity to present his case and unable to find out the reasons, Nair is now filing an RTI application to get the details before proceeding further. “I have a right to know what the committees’ findings and recommendations are and what the reason for the action was,” said the scientist who is hailed as the architect of India’s modern space programme including the celebrated mission to the moon.

To a question on the practice of commercial deals, he said Antrix only leases out the transponders to the companies which require them (such as VSAT or DTH operators). Once they get the transponders, they go to the Department of Telecom for the spectrum to operate. It is the DoT that fixes the price and allots the spectrum. “Where is the question of selling S-band or any kind of spectrum to anybody when we have no right to do that?”

Nair cannot figure out if there is any ulterior interest in any quarters in targeting or scapegoating him and others. “There seems to be a sudden change in the philosophy (of the commercial operations of Antrix). What is behind it is what I am unable to figure out.” He reiterated that the reasons cited are really silly. Additionally, the present ISRO chairman, K Radhakrishnan, was also on the board of Antrix and was party to all the decisions. Curiously, Radhakrishnan was also in the committee that investigated the deal.

While it is still unclear how the Antrix-Devas deal came out to be termed a scam, communication experts feel that that there could have been some quarters that wouldn’t have wanted the technology to threaten their interests - in both mobile telephony and DTH. Another angle is that there could have been resistance to the head-starter advantage that the ISRO could possess in utilising the S-band spectrum. Things will be clearer only when S-band utilisation and its monetisation finally happen in India.

Asked about the status of the two satellites that ISRO has built for Devas as per the deal, he said both of them were only a few months away from launch. They are now languishing in the ISRO labs.

Nair also feels that the two satellites in question and their operations would have been a big success story for India’s space programme and expansion of communications, both voice and multimedia, in India’s hinterlands. The country would have been among the few in the world where digital satellite based multimedia operations, including telephony, using the S-band was in operation. It could break the barriers to access in remote and difficult places and create a further profusion in mobile telephony and communications.

This technology, which employs the S-band spectrum, is still a preserve of countries such as the US and Japan and they are unlikely to share their proprietary knowledge, he said. Devas had some patents on this and had access to the technology. That is why they were willing to take risks and operate in India. In fact, ISRO wanted to get into this frontier technology itself, but for the money and the time it would take, he added. “It’s now a great opportunity lost.”

Nair, a recipient of both Padmabhusan and Padmavibhushan, and several other honours is however not bitter; but is unfazed. He is certainly intrigued though.

Meanwhile top names in the scientific community has rallied behind Nair. Last week, Prof CNR Rao, who heads the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, said Nair was treated like ‘garbage’. “Is this the way to treat anybody? Nobody will work for these (government) organisations if this is the way they are treated” media reports said quoting him. He also slammed the Minister of State in the PMO, V Narayanasamy for his remarks on the blacklisting decision. Narayanasamy on Sunday however indicated that the government will rethink it decision if need be, in an interview to Deccan Chronicle.