Amidst the ongoing row over alleged backdoor appointments in government jobs in Kerala, it is reported that a complaint was filed alleging irregularities in the appointment of ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan’s son Siddharth. According to the complaint, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) director V Narayanan conspired to give Siddharth a job and appointed him even before the resignation of Shivan as ISRO Chairman.
On January 25, Siddharth was appointed at the ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Valiyamalai, Thiruvananthapuram. According to reports, the Central Vigilance Commission has received a complaint that the appointment of Siddharth was not in compliance with the rules.
According to the complaint, Narayanan was in a hurry to appoint Siddharth even before K Sivan resigns as ISRO chairman. Sivan's term as ISRO chairman was due to end on January 14 but was later extended by the central government for another year. It is alleged that Narayanan tried to expedite his appointment to the LPSC on the assumption that he too would be transferred to the VSSC if the ISRO chairman changes. However, reportedly, the ISRO chairman’s office said that the appointment was in accordance with the procedures.
Last October, the application for the post of Scientist Engineer SC was invited and November 9 was the last date of submitting the online application for the post. The required educational qualification for the post was B.Tech in Electronics and Communication and an M.Tech in Very Large Scale Integration. According to reports, the explanation was that the application of Siddharth, an M.Tech graduate, was considered in compliance with all the rules and he secured the second rank in the merit list. However, the complaint was that the post was created for Sivan's son.