ISRO Chairman V Narayanan (right) with IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan Goenka at the Bengaluru Space Expo, Monday. (PTI)The Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), V Narayanan, on Monday allayed apprehensions of the space agency being privatised, saying that it is working with the private sector to expand the country’s space economy. He said, “My colleagues have some genuine concerns and it is our responsibility to clarify. ISRO is not being privatised, it is a government organisation and we are working with government investment. The space ecosystem has to grow and the space economy has to grow. And this work is towards that.”Narayanan said that ISRO currently has 56 satellites in space while the requirement is of 50 launches every year.“In fact, whenever a PSLV is lifting off or GSLV is lifting off, please don’t think everything is done in ISRO, or inside. Almost 80% of the budget is invested in industry, and 450 industries are working for us,” said Narayanan on the sidelines of the Bengaluru Space Expo.The Chairman’s clarification follows a detailed statement by the space organisation that it will continue to remain India’s principal institution for advanced space research and that participation of the private sector is not about reducing its role.“ISRO’s role will progressively strengthen in areas where its scientific expertise matters most: Frontier research and development, advanced technologies, human space flight, next-generation launch systems, deep space and planetary missions and strategic national capabilities. Meanwhile, mature and routinely manufactured systems can increasingly be scaled through industry. Production of mature launch vehicles, routine satellites and other established systems can increasingly be undertaken by industry or PSUs through appropriate competitive processes. This allows ISRO to devote more resources and scientific manpower to the next generation of technologies and missions,” the space agency had said on Sunday.This came after The Indian Express reported that key employee associations of the space agency wrote to Narayanan questioning the direction of the organisation’s privatisation drive and its implication for the existing workforce, and the agency’s future role.At least nine employee associations wrote to Narayanan raising concerns surrounding statements by IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre) Chairman Pawan Goenka that eventually ISRO will not manufacture any launch vehicle.Story continues below this adThe associations argued that these statements were never followed by any formal communication from the Department of Space explaining the policy, its legal basis, its timeline, or its impact on current staff and future recruitment.The letter, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, raises several specific concerns: What will ISRO’s future role as a public entity look like, whether or not PSUs will be excluded from manufacturing work, what safeguards exist for current employees, and how publicly-funded technologies will be transferred to private companies. It also asks whether employee associations will be consulted before any “irreversible decision” affecting the space agency’s structure, mandate or staffing is finalised.Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More Tags:ISRO