Known DRDO Critic, Former Def Sec Goes Mellow From Comfy Gubernatorial Chair

The letter above, from Chattisgarh Governor Shekhar Dutt to DRDO chief VK Saraswat is a lovely illustration of how things change depending on the hat you wear. Governor Dutt was Defence Secretary to the Indian government from July 2005-2007, a time of deep turmoil and very harsh criticism of the DRDO, a campaign that he, as Defence Secretary, made no bones about supporting. A well-respected, straight-talking gentleman, Dutt -- a decorated ex-Army officer -- was one of the few bureaucrats who unequivocally supported demands for a revamp of the DRDO at the time when there severe opposition and lots of lobbying for a status quo. The P Rama Rao Committee, the bitter pill the DRDO was forced to (and is still being forced to) swallow was Dutt's brainchild. After a stint as Deputy NSA, Dutt was appointed Governor of Chattisgarh in January this year.

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