Tejas, the Light Combat Aircraft being developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), is in the final stages of testing and expected to be launched by 2010, the organisation’s Chief Controller W Selvaraj said."It is in the final stages of testing and by 2010 it is expected to be launched," he said in Chennai on Friday while speaking at a review meeting of the DRDO Anna University and Sri Ramachandra University which jointly collaborated to set up an R&D Centre in Medical Technology.
"After LCAs are launched, the MiG-21 fighters will be gradually phased out," the Chief Controller said.The Defence Ministry has allotted Rs 105,600 crore as the annual budget and out of that, six percent has been allotted to DRDO, he said.
From the allotted six percent (around Rs 6,000 crore) 35 percent goes to strategic defence, 15 percent goes to human resource department of DRDO, 15 percent goes to equipment and maintenance while the remaining 35 percent goes to R&D, he said.
On collaboration with the universities, he said through the joint collaboration, academic partnership should also be carried out."We can also share knowledge by sending our faculty members to these universities," he said.
For the collaboration around 80 research proposals were received (from the two universities) and out of which 37 have been short listed by the DRDO expert committee.
Some major areas developed by the two universities are hearing protection devices for jawans, health impacts of ozone and particulate matter, biological dosimetry and physiological studies on meditation.
"India is moving into a knowledge era and is set to play a significant role from 2000-2050, the country will become a knowledge superpower," Selvaraj said.