Hyderabad CAT Orders Removal of BrahMos CEO Jaiteerth Joshi Over Appointment Lapses
Tribunal orders Jaiteerth Joshi's removal over serious appointment irregularities.
The Hyderabad bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal delivered a significant ruling on Monday, mandating the immediate removal of Jaiteerth R Joshi from his role as Director General and Chief Executive Officer of BrahMos Aerospace, after finding merit in allegations of procedural lapses and unjust supersession raised by senior DRDO scientist Sivasubramaniam Nambi Naidu.
The tribunal critically observed that while the Secretary of Defence Research and Development and Chairman of DRDO holds the authority to approve a recommended candidate for the Director General position, this power does not extend to arbitrarily overlooking the detailed service records and qualifications of other highly qualified scientists duly empanelled by the Selection Committee.
Naidu, holding the prestigious rank of Distinguished Scientist and possessing seven years of seniority over Joshi—who was designated as Scientist 'H' during the appointment period—successfully argued that his claim was unfairly bypassed, compelling the CAT to direct a comprehensive reevaluation of his candidature alongside those of other eligible senior scientists.
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Pending the completion of this renewed selection process within a stipulated four-week timeframe, the tribunal has explicitly barred Joshi from assuming any interim or in-charge responsibilities, requiring the Defence Ministry and DRDO to promptly designate an alternative neutral arrangement to maintain operational continuity at the strategic organisation.
BrahMos Aerospace, the flagship Indo-Russian joint venture renowned worldwide for engineering and producing the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile—acknowledged as the fastest operational system of its kind—stands as a pivotal entity in advanced defence collaboration, making leadership transitions at its helm a matter of critical national and international significance.
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