India’s CSIR warns US Journalist
By Bala Shah

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (aka CSIR) is the leading Govt body in its field.  It is so critical to the nation that its President is PM Manmohan Singh himself.  CSIR’s Vice President is the Minister of State of Science and Technology, Mr. Chavan. An American journalist is saying she was warned off while doing a story on CSIR.

The CSIR Director General is Prof Samir K. Brahmachari.  Prior to his current post, Mr. Brahmachari was the Director of Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (CSIR). He has also studied and worked in Canada, France and Germany.

The New York Times is arguably one of the most powerful newspapers in the world.  While doing an article titled ‘Some Indians find it tough to go home again’,  its reporter stumbled on MIT lecturer Mr. Ayyadurai who got a handwritten job offer from CSIR and was tasked with setting up a new company CSIR – Tech.  CSIR-Tech would encompass all the profitable businesses managed by a number of Indian Government labs.

India born Mr. Ayyadurai, who grew up in USA, ran into the immovable CSIR bureaucracy. His attempts to streamline the organization were blocked. Soon, Mr. Ayyadurai’s job offer was withdrawn and he returned to USA.

When New York Times contacted CSIR for their side of the story, they got a taste of what Mr. Ayyadurai faced in India, including a warning to back off.  The New York Times reported

“
Mr. Brahmachari said in an interview that Mr. Ayyadurai had misunderstood nearly everything — from his handwritten job offer, which he said was only meant to suggest what Mr. Ayyadurai could receive were he to be hired, to the way Mr. Ayyadurai asked scientists for their feedback on what the C.S.I.R. spinoff should look like.

To prove his point, Mr. Brahmachari, who was two hours late for an interview scheduled by his office, read from a government guide about decision-making in the organization. Mr. Ayyadurai didn’t follow protocol, he said. “As long as your language is positive for the organization I have no problem,” he added.

As the interview was closing, Mr. Brahmachari questioned why anyone would be interested in the situation, and then said he would complain to a reporter’s bosses in New York if she continued to pursue the story.
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India is well on the road to a free market open economy as it takes its place on the global stage as a global super power.  But some things will take longer to change.