CAT removes BrahMos CEO Jaiteerth R Joshi, asks defence ministry to reconsider senior scientist for top post
NEW DELHI: In a rare intervention, the Hyderabad bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Monday removed the current Director General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BrahMos Aerospace, Jaiteerth R Joshi. The CAT has directed the Defence Ministry to reconsider the claim of senior-most scientist Sivasubramaniam Nambi Naidu for the top post. The appointment of Joshi was challenged in the CAT, Hyderabad, in November 2024. In its order on Monday, the tribunal instructed the Ministry of Defence and DRDO to review Joshis appointment within four weeks. Until a decision is taken on the appointment, the CAT added, an in-charge arrangement should be made, excluding Joshi from the role. The leadership dispute comes at a crucial time as BrahMos is executing significant defence supply orders, including international deals with countries such as the Philippines, while exploring potential contracts with Indonesia, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates. The crisis arose after Joshi was appointed CEO, a decision contested by Naidu, who claimed he had been superseded despite being the senior-most candidate. Naidu, a Distinguished Scientist, is seven years senior to Joshi and has served as an Outstanding Scientist since 2017. With only three years left in service, compared to Joshis six, Naidus plea emphasises his seniority and experience. Appointment of new Brahmos chief challenged in Tribunal The case was filed on 29 November, with the first hearing on 30 November. The tribunal has sought a detailed response from DRDO within four weeks and scheduled the next hearing for 30 December. Joshi and DRDO have been named respondents. Joshi had taken charge on 2 December 2024. On the domestic front, the Indian Army and Air Force are in the midst of further BrahMos procurements, and the ongoing leadership ambiguity raises concerns about meeting strategic priorities. The tribunal referenced the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for selecting the Director General of BrahMos, noting that while the Secretary DDR&D and DRDO Chairman can approve one of the names submitted by the Selection Committee, they cannot ignore the service records of other eligible scientists. The ministry and DRDO had contended that Joshis selection was lawful and in accordance with the rules. However, the tribunal highlighted changes made to the SOP post-2022, including a reduction in required residual service from 18 months to 12 months. The tribunal observed: It can be said that this has been done with vested interest, knowing fully well that it is a sensitive post. A Scientist with higher qualifications and technical experience in DRDO, with an immaculate service record, should have been considered. Though the panel of names was arranged alphabetically, this is not supported by any rules. Regarding Joshis appointment, the tribunal expressed surprise: When Distinguished Scientists are available, there is no question of such a post being offered to a Scientist H. Eight scientists had applied for the post, including two Distinguished Scientists and six others in the Scientist H category. However, in the minutes of the Selection Committee, the names were recommended alphabetically, for which no rule has been shown to us, the order stated.
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