Congress allegations on Rafale complete falsehood: Arun Jaitley
New Delhi, Aug 29 : Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday termed the Congress allegations on the Rafale deal as "complete falsehood" and said the basic aircraft price at which the fighter jets had been bought was 9 per cent cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA government.
In a blogpost, Jaitley accused the Congress of seriously compromising national security by delaying the Rafale deal by over a decade and alleged that it was raising issues to "further delay defence procurement so that India's defence preparedness further suffers".
He said the Congress had launched a "false campaign" that the Modi government had paid a higher price for the fighter jets, an industrialist had been favoured and the interests of the public sector were compromised.
"Each one of the above issues is based on complete falsehood. It is expected from national political parties and its responsible leaders to keep themselves informed of the basic facts before they enter a public discourse on defence transactions," Jaitley said.
"Every fact that Gandhi and the Congress has spoken on pricing and procedure are completely false," he said.
"The UPA was a government which suffered from a decision-making paralysis. Do you agree that the delay of over one decade was only on account of the incompetence and indecisiveness of the UPA Government?
"Did this delay seriously compromise national security? Is not the medium multi-role combat aircraft required by our forces to identify and strike at targets particularly when two of our neighbours have already enhanced their strength in this area?
"Was this delay and eventual abatement of the purchase by the UPA based on collateral considerations as had been witnessed in earlier transactions such as the purchase of the 155 mm Bofors gun?" Jaitley questioned.
The Minister said the Congress and its President Rahul Gandhi were unaware of the Rafale deal facts.
"How is it that Gandhi quoted a price of Rs 700 crore per aircraft in Delhi and Karnataka in April and May? In Parliament, he reduced it to Rs 520 crore per aircraft, in Raipur he increased it to Rs 540 crore, in Jaipur he used Rs 520 crore and Rs 540 crore in the same speech," he said.
"Truth has only one version, falsehood has many. Are these allegations being made without any familiarity with the facts of the Rafale purchase?" he asked.
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Mission operations key to space success: ISRO chief Narayanan
Bengaluru, Apr 8 (PTI): ISRO Chairman V Narayanan on Wednesday highlighted the importance of mission operations in ensuring success, calling it key to India’s expanding space programme.
He was addressing a gathering of scientists, industry experts, and students at the three-day international conference on Spacecraft Mission Operations (SMOPS-2026), themed 'Innovative Operations for Smart and Sustainable Space Mission Management–Next Generation'.
"Mission operations are crucial, especially for long-duration ones. This is an important domain," Narayanan said.
Welcoming delegates from leading global space agencies, including Roscosmos, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the French space agency, Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES), the ISRO chief said the conference marked a significant milestone, as it brought together international expertise, startups, and the broader space ecosystem on a common platform.
"This is not just another conference—it is quite a major global gathering with participation from many countries, experts, startups, and ecosystem partners," he said.
Narayanan pointed to the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission, noting that the "historic landing" near the Moon’s south pole was the outcome of sustained teamwork and operational precision.
He credited the leadership and continuous involvement of senior scientists in mission control, saying their contribution remained indispensable during key phases.
The ISRO chief also recalled the challenges faced after the Chandrayaan-2 mission and said the subsequent success demonstrated India’s technological resilience.
"After the partial setback of Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 had to be perfect," he said, adding that the achievement had earned global recognition.
Tracing the evolution of India’s space programme since its inception in 1962, Narayanan said the country has accomplished a wide spectrum of missions spanning launch vehicles, scientific exploration, and satellite operations.
He added that while rockets operate for a brief duration, spacecraft require continuous monitoring and control over several years.
"While a rocket functions only for about 15 to 25 minutes, it must generate tremendous energy to place the spacecraft into orbit. However, the spacecraft itself must operate for years—sometimes from two to 15 years," he said.
The ISRO chairman said even minor errors in command execution could jeopardise an entire mission, and commended engineers, software teams, and planners for their role in sustaining mission health.
Narayanan stressed the importance of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud-based systems in transforming mission operations.
He also cited key milestones achieved since the previous conference, including space docking experiments, the Chandrayaan-3 mission, and the Aditya-L1 solar mission, noting that each required advanced operational strategies.
On human spaceflight, he described the Gaganyaan programme as a "defining step" for India’s ambitions.
He added that preparations were progressing towards the first uncrewed mission.
Speaking to reporters later, Narayanan reiterated the long-term nature of mission operations and its significance across mission lifecycles.
"A launch vehicle works only for about 20 to 25 minutes, but mission operations must continue for a long time," he added.
Narayanan explained that communication satellites require continuous monitoring for up to 15 years, while interplanetary missions demand sustained operational control over several months.
He said the SMOPS-2026 conference would focus extensively on advancements in this domain.
"Around 400-plus papers will be presented and discussed. This will be useful for the student community, startup companies, and engineers working in this field," the ISRO chief said.
Responding to queries on the Gaganyaan programme timeline, Narayanan said ISRO was proceeding in a phased manner.
"Before proceeding with the crewed mission, three uncrewed missions are planned. At present, we are working on the first uncrewed mission," he said.
Narayanan said further details would be announced at an appropriate time. On the challenges involved, he pointed to the complexities of developing human-rated systems and integrating numerous technologies.
"We have to human-rate the launch vehicle. There are also many new developments involved, such as the crew escape system, environmental control and life-support systems, and the interface between humans, machines, and software," he said.
Narayanan described the programme as a "coordinated national effort" involving multiple laboratories.
When asked about the procurement of critical systems, he said, "The process is underway."
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