Warrior Science

For those of you who think of only armed combat when you say the term ‘defence’, this should come as a surprise.Defence is not just about soldiers braving the enemy in battle tanks, fighter planes or battleships, scientists and engineers have an equal contribution towards making our borders and our soldiers that much safer. A number of scientists and technicians work day and night in laboratories to make life less difficult for the man behind the machine. Says Dr G. Ilavazhagan, Director, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS), New Delhi, one of the life sciences lab of DRDO, “Soldiers have to perform under high mental and physical stress. Our aim is to make sure that they not only survive those harsh conditions, but also sustain themselves and perform well in such extreme situations.”The field of defence research calls for capacity-building in design, development and delivery of military systems and critical defence equipments like missiles, Light Combat Aircrafts (LCA), Main Battle Tanks (MBT), armaments and so on. But that’s not all. Defence research could get you working on how to create a superior missile or naval system. Or, you could be sitting in a laboratory and working on how to prevent frostbites so that the defence personnel posted in Siachen or Leh can be saved from its ill-effects. You could also be devising psychological tests to help decide who would better suit a particular post in the defence services.Apart from research work in defence, there is a need for technicians at the production level as well. Says Gurudutt Ray, Director, Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Kolkata, “Technicians are hired for the production of ammunition, explosives, tanks like T-90, combat attire, armoured vehicles and bullet proofing.” Candidates are hired through a UPSC exam to undertake ordnance production that itself has undergone a sea change with the changing requirements of defence services. Says S.K. Singh, deputy director general (DDG), research and development, OFB, “Techniques like cargo ammunition, transfer of technology from other countries (ToT) are a few new areas.”With India being touted as the next super power, the research and development (R&D) sector, specially in defence, continues to hold a position of importance. The total defence budget of India in 2007-2008 was Rs 1.05 lakh crore, out of which Rs 6,500 crore was spent on defence R&D. Says Suranjan Pal, Director, Directorate of Public Interface, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), “We have 7,000 class ‘A’ level designers and developers working as scientists to provide our soldiers the best indigenous defence systems in eight clusters—aeronautics, armaments, combat engineering, electronics and advanced computing, missiles, materials, naval systems and life sciences.” These core areas provide an unbelievably wide range of research topics. “We are making everything under the sun, with consistent focus on dual benefits to the defence as well as the civilian population,” he adds.Research work for DRDO alone is underway in more than 50 laboratories. At the nutrition department of DIPAS, scientists can be found attempting to find out the average energy expenditure of a soldier. “This,” explains Dr Somnath Singh, a scientist with DIPAS, “will help cater to their specific nutrient requirements in deserts or high altitude areas.”Research is on in areas of data links, satellite communication, robotics, radars, nanotubes, chemical and biological control of marine environment, sonars, geo-environmental monitoring systems and high speed low drag aircraft bombs to name just a few. Work is never dull at a defence research lab and each day poses a new challenge. The right mix of curiosity and scientific bent of mind combined with the desire to serve the nation is all you need as far as aptitudinal requirements are concerned.To become a research and development professional in the defence sector, you need a first-class master’s degree in any subject of science or technology. Candidates are selected on the basis of the Scientist Entry Test (SET) and Registration of Students With Scholastic Aptitudes (ROSSA). DRDO has special tie-ups with the IITs and major universities all across the country for campus recruitments. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is another major recruiter taking on almost 600 scientists every year. These executives are deployed for present and future programmes of HAL in design and development of Fifth Generation Fighter Aircrafts, Multi-Role Transport Aircraft, Medium Lift Helicopter, Light Utility Helicopter, and manufacture and overhaul of Su-30MKI, Advanced Light Helicopter, Intermediate Jet Trainer, Light Combat Aircraft and other important and prestigious projects. A graduate engineer at the induction level earns Rs 5.25 lakh per annum.There is a great demand for talented scientists. DRDO alone has around 642 PhDs, 6,883 M.Scs, 3,252 B.Techs and 1,862 M.Techs working as scientists. There is a huge talent crunch which tends to get intensified given the high attrition rate as junior scientists are always on the lookout for greener pastures (read the private sector). Starting monthly salary is around Rs 34,000 in the government sector. In the private sector, you could be making Rs 1-2 lakh per month in a two-five years’ time frame.Of late, the attrition levels in the public sector have gone down owing to various reasons. “Till about last year, retention of scientists was a major concern, but it’s not so now. The private sector may provide the money, but the amount of independence and freedom of research we provide is missing in the private sector,” says Pal. Whatever the medium, it’s a promising career path all the way.