Government announces major restructuring of DRDO

The government today approved a series of measures, involving changes in the institutional, managerial, administrative and financial structures of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) - both in form and substance - for improving the functioning of the country's premier defence R&D establishment.

Under the plan, the government will set up a Defence Technology Commission with the defence minister as its chairman. The commission will be supported by a secretariat located at DRDO headquarters.

The management of the DRDO will be de-centralised to make it a leaner organisation by merging some of the DRDO laboratories with other public funded institutions with similar discipline, interest and administrative system.

Under the decentralisation plan, it is proposed to set up seven centres created on the basis of functionalities and technology domains of a cluster of laboratories. These will be headed by directors general who will report to the chairman of DRDO.

The current director general of DRDO will be redesignated as chairman, DRDO. The chairman will head the DRDO management council comprising the seven directors general and four chief controllers of research and development and a financial advisor as its members. Financial advisors at the appropriate levels will report to directors general / lab directors to ensure accountability.

For revamping the human resource structure of DRDO, the government proposes to engage an eminent HR expert as consultant and for the establishment of a commercial arm of DRDO.