S. Nambi Narayanan is a former Indian Space Research Organization scientist. He is one of the senior officers of ISRO.
Wiki/Biography
Nambi Narayanan was born on December 12, 1941 in Kerala, India (82 years old; as of 2023). His hometown is Nagai Koil in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. He studied at DVD High School, Nagercoil. He received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Thiagarajar College of Engineering, University of Madras, Madurai. On September 12, 1966, Narayanan and a team of 20 members began work at the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Station (TERLS) in Thiruvananthapuram. In 1969, he received a NASA scholarship. Narayanan completed a master’s degree in chemical rocket propulsion at Princeton University in New Jersey. Although NASA granted him U.S. citizenship, Narayanan was determined to pursue research in India. In 1994, he was falsely accused of espionage in the ISRO espionage case.
Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Station, TERLS
Family, wife and caste
Nambi Narayanan was born into a Hindu family. He lost his father while studying for his bachelor’s degree in Madurai. His mother felt uncomfortable after losing her father. He has two sisters.
Nambi Narayanan married Meena Nambi. The couple has a son Sankara Kumar Narayanan (a businessman) and a daughter Geetha Arunan (a teacher at a Montessori school in Bengaluru).
Nambi Narayanan and family
Profession
Narayanan joined ISRO in 1966. In the early 1970s, Narayanan predicted that ISRO’s future civilian space program would require liquid-fuel engines. He designed the first liquid propellant engine with a thrust of about 600 kg and introduced liquid fuel rocket technology to India, while APJ Abdul Kalam and his team worked on solid engines. Narayanan’s project received strong support from the then ISRO chairman Satish Dhawan and UR Rao. He is responsible for the Cryogenics Division, which is responsible for the production of cryogenic materials.
Nambi Narayanan and APJ Abdul Kalam
Satish Dhawan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization
Narayanan became one of the chief designers with the help of France and developed an engine called Vikas, which was used in several ISRO rockets including the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The ‘Vikas’ engine helped in missions like Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan. Vikas are also used in the second and fourth strap-on stages of geostationary satellite launch vehicles.
vikas engine
In 1985, Nambi Narayanan, along with other Indian teams and French scientists, successfully completed ground testing of the Vikas engine in Vernon, France
dispute
- In 1992, India and Russia reached an agreement $Rs 235 crore for transfer of cryogenic fuel development technology. However, the deal was canceled due to pressure from the United States and France, which intended to provide the same technology to Russia $950 Crores and $650 respectively. Subsequently, India reached a new agreement with Russia to manufacture four cryogenic engines through a global tender without transferring technology. But the deal was scrapped due to the false spying scandal that emerged in 1994.
- In 1994, Narayanan and his fellow scientist D Sasikumaran, along with two Maldivian women named Mariam Rasheeda and Fauzia Hassan, were wrongly accused of leaking important defense secrets, including classified information related to flight test data. The other accused are ISRO contractor SK Sharma and Roscosmos official K. Chandrasekhar.
Mariam Rashida arrested
Maldivian woman arrested in ISRO espionage case
- Narayanan was arrested on espionage charges and the case was handed over to the Intelligence Bureau. He was detained for 50 days. While in detention, he was subjected to mental and physical torture by IBO officials. He was forced to stand for about 30 hours until he collapsed and was taken to hospital.
Nambi Narayanan arrested in Thiruvananthapuram, 1994
Nambi Narayanan arrested in ISRO espionage case
- In 1996, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation dismissed the charges against Narayanan and found him not guilty due to lack of evidence. Subsequently, in 1998, India’s Supreme Court dismissed his case and dropped all charges against him.
- Narayanan revealed in an interview that an IBO official responded, saying, “Sir, we are doing our job. If what you are saying is true and your statement is correct, you can use Hit us with your slippers.”
fact
- As a scientist, he worked closely with other eminent scientists such as Satish Dhawan, Vikram Sarabhai, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, UR Rao and others.
- As the then ISRO chairman Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan said, “ISRO cannot interfere in legal matters;” Narayanan did not receive any support from the organization.
- In 2001, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) ordered the Kerala government to pay Rs 1 crore compensation to Narayanan.
- In 2012, the Kerala High Court ordered the Kerala government to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation to Narayanan based on an appeal by the National Human Rights Commission.
- In 2013, Narayanan engaged in discussions with the media seeking justice and hoping to expose the individuals or officials behind the conspiracy over espionage charges.
- Narayanan said in an interview that while he was accused of espionage, he and his family suffered extreme emotional abuse. According to him, his wife Meena was once riding in an autorickshaw when the driver realized who she was and she was forced to get out of the vehicle.
- He also said, “People would come to our house and burn my effigies, insult me and shout slogans. My family suffered a lot. My children were agitated and would resist. But my wife fell into depression and no longer Speak.”
- On October 23, 2017, Narayanan’s autobiography “Ormakalude Bhramanapatham” exposed the ISRO espionage case. It also revealed that the defendant was subjected to third-degree torture.
Autobiography of Nambi Narayanan
- In 2018, a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra ordered the Kerala government to pay Rs 75 lakh compensation to Nambi Narayanan for the mental abuse he suffered and defamation of reputation.
- In 2018, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Dipak Misra, awarded Rs 50 lakh compensation to Narayanan for the “unnecessary arrest and harassment” suffered by the Kerala police.
- The three-judge bench, which awarded compensation of Rs 50 lakh, also said, “We can direct those involved in the investigation to pay compensation… We will ask the state to recover the compensation from their properties. Let them sell the house and pay.” We are not worried. We will clarify in the order that his reputation has been harmed… and that by this judgment his reputation has been restored. ”
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan distributes check of Rs 50 lakh to Nambi Narayanan in 2018
- On January 25, 2019, Narayanan was awarded the Padma Shri Award by the Indian government, the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India.
- His hobbies include reading and traveling.
- In 2019, the Indian biographical drama “Rocket: The Nabi Effect” based on the life of Nambi Narayanan was released. The role of Narayanan is played by R. Madhavan. The film will be released in theaters on July 1, 2022.
Rocket Technology – Nano Effect
- In 2019, he was awarded the Padma Shri by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind.
Nambi Narayanan meets Padma Bhushan By Ram Nath Kovind
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education