Top journalist blasts CIO Vivek Kundra
By Pulkit Sharma

When Pres Obama appointed 34-year old Indian-born technocrat, Vivek Kundra, to the position of Federal CIO of the US Government, it made front page news. The CIO is quickly learning that public office in USA means you are fair game to the media.  The baptism of fire started with an ex subordinate being arrested for corruption. Then youthful indiscretions cropped up.

Most of us have been guilty of doing silly things in our youth.  The White House did not want to dwell on such youthful indiscretions and fully backed Vivek Kundra.

Now, one of America’s best known technology journalist, John Dvorak, has launched a bitter broadside on Vivek accusing him of forging academic qualifications and even work experience. John implied that Vivek Kundra got the job partly because of ‘Indian’ connections. John Dvorak has written for PC Magazine, Forbes, New York Times and many other national newspapers. Dvorak has won American awards for being the ‘Best Columnist’.  So, he is not a man to be dismissed lightly.

But all the signs are that John, under the guise of free speech, will say anything he wants. According to Gawker, John even loosely compared President Obama’s campaign rallies to those held by Hitler.

In America, controversy is cash.  By ensuring that the newsman is always in the news, John is increasing his brand value.  This brand is projected as a tech journalist who pulls no punches.

John Dvorak has just blogged: “Is US Chief Information Officer (CIO) Vivek Kundra a Phony?”

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This is the sort of question you might ask after trying to actually verify his supposed MS in Information Technology from the University of Maryland, College Park campus. The registrar has no record of it. After initially posting this article the degree has cropped up apparently at the nearby University Campus in 2001. This was found by Nextgov.Com. But his degree in biology has yet to appear as his record shows a degree from College Park Campus for Psychology and nothing more.

I have queried the White House for clarification and still have received no response. The internet has answered the MS question. But other issues remain. Regarding a number of interesting and questionable facts, most in regard to Kundra’s bio. The most ridiculous is his assertion that he was formerly a CEO of Creostar. While records for this company are hard to come by a small Dun & Bradstreet service did turn up the following information: there was indeed a Creostar in Arlington, VA. It was founded in 2004 with the contact being Vivek Kundra. The last record for the company (online) showed sales of $67,000 with one employee – apparently Kundra, the CEO.

The emergence of Kundra is something that needs more research. There is some indication that Kundra got his jobs in Virginia after being recommended by Aneesh Chopra another professional bureaucrat in Virginia who was apparently his friend from campaign work. On one blog there is a pic of Chopra and Kundra at a boxing match with Indian bigwig Shudkaer Shenoy. The photo was taken in 2008 before either of the two men began with the Obama administration. Since then Chopra was given the job as USA Chief Technology Office (CTO).
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Once John’s article was published, it was picked up by most tech journalists.  Within the first 24 hours, John has been proved wrong for questioning Vivek Kundra’s academic qualifications.  The next few days will reveal more.

Even as most of America has welcomed migrants with open arms, and President Obama keeps reiterating how all of us are connected, there has been a change in power structures.  Some right wingers are not happy to see migrants taking the top jobs.

(Techgoss had published the following story on March 18, 2009)

CIO Vivek Kundra forgiven for youthful indiscretion
By Pulkit Sharma

When Pres Obama appointed 34-year old Indian-born technocrat, Vivek Kundra, to the position of Federal CIO of the US Government, it made front page news. The CIO is quickly learning that public office in USA means you are fair game to the media.  The baptism of fire started with an ex subordinate being arrested for corruption. Now youthful indiscretions have cropped up.

Vivek Kundra was the CTO for Washington DC and a member of the Presidential transition team before being tapped to become the Federal CIO. 

Mid-March, 2009, the FBI raided the Technology department of the Government of Washington DC and arrested Yusuf Acar, 40, who reported to Vivek Kundra.  They also arrested Indian tech consultant Sushil Bansal, 41, whose company provided a number to computing services to the Government of Washington DC.  The FBI evidence clearly shows some corruption at the Government computing department. But the FBI has made it clear that Vivek was not targeted in its investigation.

While Vivek Kundra was not involved in the corruption, some critics questioned his managerial competence.  The critics felt that the buck always stops with the boss who should be proactive in ensuring that his juniors are not involved in any corrupt activity.

Now, America’s most read tech gossip website Valleywag is reporting that Vivek Kundra had pleased guilty to a theft charge in 1997.  Valleywag has published evidence which clearly “show that a Vivek Kundra pleaded guilty to a theft of less than $300, for which he received supervised probation before judgment and a fine of $500, $400 of which was suspended.”

What is supervised probation before judgment? Do you have a police record because of such minor crimes?  Technically speaking, many lawyers feel that this prevents you from publicly admitting that you have been convicted.

No one is quite sure if this theft was a youthful prank of a 21-year old still finding his feet in life, or something a bit more serious.  Much of the chatter among tech circles points to some juvenile behaviour that many youngsters get up to, but grow out of with age and experience.  After all, many of us have said and done things at 21 which we are not proud about.

Vivek Kundra insists that he has disclosed this incident in his past to every employer as well as the White House.  The White House does not think it is much of a big deal and has asked Vivek to return to work as the CIO of USA.