Radhakrishnan retires leaving ISRO at its 'most glorified pedestal ever'

[Hindustani78]

Radhakrishnan retires leaving ISRO at its 'most glorified pedestal ever' - The Economic Times
31 Dec, 2014

BENGALURU: Spearheading Indian Space Research Organisation triumphantly through several milestones, its Chairman K Radhakrishnan retired today carrying the crowning glory of the much-hailed India's mission to Mars.

Indian space scientists bid a 'sombre' farewell describing Radhakrishnan an "iconic leader" as his exit left the space agency at what ISRO on its Facebook called "at its most glorified pedestal ever."

The tenure of Radhakrishnan as ISRO chief, Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, Space Commission was extended by four months in August this year till December 31, 2014 on "functional grounds and in public interest."

Radhakrishnan, a recipient of Padma- Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, was recently chosen as one of the top ten scientific personalities in 2014 by Nature Science Journal.

After completing his graduation in Electrical Engineering from Kerala University, he joined Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in 1972 and rose through the ranks, in brisk space.

Radhakrishnan was handpicked by Prof. Satish Dhawan - the then Chairman of ISRO, to control and monitor the Budget and Economic Analysis activities at the ISRO headquarters.

He never looked back since then and the acme of his achievement was the "Mangalyaan" mission to the red planet.


India made space history on September 24 when its low-cost Mars spacecraft was successfully placed in orbit around the red planet in its very first attempt, breaking into an elite club of three nations.

The Rs 450-crore MOM Mangalyaan is the cheapest inter- planetary mission that, at just USD 74 million, costing less than the estimated USD 100 million budget of the sci-fi blockbuster "Gravity" and a tenth of NASA's Mars mission Maven, entered the Martian orbit on September 22.


European, American and Russian probes have managed to orbit or land on the planet, but after several attempts.

MOM feat gave a boost to India's global standing in space. Mangalyaan was named among the best inventions of 2014 by TIME magazine which described it as a technological feat that will allow India to flex its "interplanetary muscles."

 

[illuminatidinesh]

Credit goes to his predecessors too..... We shouldnt forget Mr.Nair, Kasturirangan

 

[IndoUS]

Thank you sir for your service to the nation.

 

[Tshering22]

Dr Radhakrishnan has truly served the country in an excellent manner.

He has done his duty as a son of Bharat Mata and brought glory to the country.

My deep respects to the man.

Though I hope he remains in the advisory panel like how Dr. Kalam is.

 

[karan21]

He has done his duty as a son of Bharat Mata and brought glory to the country.

This line got my attention. "Duty as a son of Bharat Mata", how will you do your duty?? And do you think very Indian has a duty to do???

 

[Tshering22]

This line got my attention. "Duty as a son of Bharat Mata", how will you do your duty?? And do you think very Indian has a duty to do???

Serving the country, my friend, is not just through the Armed forces.

By achieving something for India, doing something for our country, we are all serving.

It could be something high as this ISRO achievement, putting India on a global map or it could be something as normal and common-purpose as taking the initiative to clean up your locality and ensuring that people don't litter again as a society.

Service can be to take new year party's money, buy essentials for winter and give it to the homeless in a bid that they could at least ward off the severe cold and survive, try to find them employment through social initiatives and to help them.

Service is not about 'Must do'. It is not an order. It is the calling of one's heart.

To me, doing any of the above is not when someone is asking me to do it. It is my own calling to do something for my country. When my brothers go into terror dens, do high altitude patrols and train in Siachen, when they gun down terrorists, they are not doing it because it is just an order. They wanted to do it; it is in their calling. So they are doing it.

That, is service.

Dr. Radhakrishnan served our country by using his gifted mind in putting India on the world map as a space power. Not only did it get ISRO commercial deals and booked them for entire 2015 and the first half of 2016, but also made every Indian feel proud of the kinds of minds our country can produce and be in service.

 

[karan21]

Serving the country, my friend, is not just through the Armed forces.

By achieving something for India, doing something for our country, we are all serving.

It could be something high as this ISRO achievement, putting India on a global map or it could be something as normal and common-purpose as taking the initiative to clean up your locality and ensuring that people don't litter again as a society.

Service can be to take new year party's money, buy essentials for winter and give it to the homeless in a bid that they could at least ward off the severe cold and survive, try to find them employment through social initiatives and to help them.

Service is not about 'Must do'. It is not an order. It is the calling of one's heart.

To me, doing any of the above is not when someone is asking me to do it. It is my own calling to do something for my country. When my brothers go into terror dens, do high altitude patrols and train in Siachen, when they gun down terrorists, they are not doing it because it is just an order. They wanted to do it; it is in their calling. So they are doing it.

That, is service.

Dr. Radhakrishnan served our country by using his gifted mind in putting India on the world map as a space power. Not only did it get ISRO commercial deals and booked them for entire 2015 and the first half of 2016, but also made every Indian feel proud of the kinds of minds our country can produce and be in service.

Bas yaar yeehhh cheezzzzz!!! This is the right attitude. All Indians gottaa have this attitude. No matter where we stay and what we day, we must serve our nation in one way or other.

 

[utraash]

Thank you sir ....

 

[Bang Galore]

Radhakrishnan, a recipient of Padma- Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, was recently chosen as one of the top ten scientific personalities in 2014 by Nature Science Journal.

We are a funny nation, we give the 3rd highest award to people who take India to Mars (not just an individual achievement) and lived on just a government salary and give the highest to people who made millions of dollars hitting a round object with a stick & not satisfied with all that money made still advertise for water purifiers etc after getting the highest civilian award. Hopefully Mr. Radhakrishnan will get nominated to the Rajya Sabha and probably will value it enough to attend.

 

[Hindustani78]

We are a funny nation, we give the 3rd highest award to people who take India to Mars (not just an individual achievement) and lived on just a government salary and give the highest to people who made millions of dollars hitting a round object with a stick & not satisfied with all that money made still advertise for water purifiers etc after getting the highest civilian award. Hopefully Mr. Radhakrishnan will get nominated to the Rajya Sabha and probably will value it enough to attend.

Scientists like Mr. Radhakrishnan can go to Rajya Sabha anytime but i think he will be more happy to teach young Indian Scientists which can produce more scientists in future.

 

[SrNair]

We are a funny nation, we give the 3rd highest award to people who take India to Mars (not just an individual achievement) and lived on just a government salary and give the highest to people who made millions of dollars hitting a round object with a stick & not satisfied with all that money made still advertise for water purifiers etc after getting the highest civilian award. Hopefully Mr. Radhakrishnan will get nominated to the Rajya Sabha and probably will value it enough to attend.

Perhaps for Dr Radhakrishnan love and respect from this nation would be way invaluable than Bharat Ratna.And he got that respect.

On topic:He was a great leader .He utilized 16000 workforces in ISRO with optimum capacity for maximum result.
Thank you Chairman .

 

[Echo_419]

Dr Radhakrishnan has truly served the country in an excellent manner.

He has done his duty as a son of Bharat Mata and brought glory to the country.

My deep respects to the man.

Though I hope he remains in the advisory panel like how Dr. Kalam is.

He should be appointed to advise on how to reform DRDO

 

[anant_s]

As the head of the institution he deserves the accolades, but we musn't forget about the contribution of his predecessors and the people at ISRO who don't get to share the limelight but are every bit heros.
Now ISRO shouldn't loose momentum gained and aim for greater glories and not to mention larger share of space business market, where it can create a very respectable name for itself.

 

[Krate M]

A man of many talents and a great leader you have served your motherland and made us proud
Tarmak007 -- A bold blog on Indian defence: Avatars of a space scientist | Of Kathakali, spiritualism, music and Mars

 

[Tshering22]

He should be appointed to advise on how to reform DRDO

He'll already be flooded with offers from companies like TATA Advanced Systems, L&T, Pipavav (torpedo development) etc for senior director level roles.

As the head of the institution he deserves the accolades, but we musn't forget about the contribution of his predecessors and the people at ISRO who don't get to share the limelight but are every bit heros.

Now ISRO shouldn't loose momentum gained and aim for greater glories and not to mention larger share of space business market, where it can create a very respectable name for itself.

True. But ISRO has already gotten itself hefty contracts for this year and the next year's first half. All the more incentive to perform better.

We need to become the biggest commercial space venture arm for every country to approach and do business with.

ISRO has that potential.

If only DRDO, HAL, CSL, MDL etc had their efficiency....

Scientists like Mr. Radhakrishnan can go to Rajya Sabha anytime but i think he will be more happy to teach young Indian Scientists which can produce more scientists in future.

Now that you said it, I think we seriously need a chief representative of scientific communities in the Parliament, such as space, defence research, genetic research, molecular biology research, biotech research etc.

It is very important that useless politicians know and address the concerns of the scientific community and scientific community be given a voice in the parliament.