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Book review
Ready to fire

How India and I survived

the ISRO spy case

By Arun Ram and

Nambi Narayanan

T his riveting book is about the struggle of a rocket scientist.
top scientist, S. Nambi Narayanan who
S. Nambi Narayanan ( born 12 th
was falsely accused of selling Space
December 1941) rocket scientist and
Technology secrets and his fight for justice.
aerospace engineer worked at the Indian
A top scientist is falsely accused for Space Research Organization (ISRO)
espionage charges. A Police inspector’s and contributed in the develop-
misadventure with a Maldivian women ment of Vikas rocket engine. He was
results in a fabricated espionage case. awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third
highest civilian award by government of India
A faction within a political party capitalizes on in 2019 for developing Vikas engine.
the case to bring down a government. An
intelligence agency obligingly plays into He led the team that acquired technology
the hands of vested interest to slow down from the French for the Vikas engine used
India’s space program. And a complex in the first PSLV that India launched. As a
investigation finally proves the allegations senior official at the ISRO, he was in -
untrue. charge of the cryogenics division.

Nambi walks through the events leading In 1994 he was charged with espionage and
to his rise as an eminent engineer to got arrested. He spent 50 days in jail. The
alleged espionage charges, physical and charges against him were dismissed by The
mental cruelty against him. It takes four Central bureau of investigation (CBI) in April
years for the CBI to exonerate Nambi, but 1996. The Supreme Court of India also
his fight for justice to ensure action stopped the Kerala government on technical
against the officer who faked the case and grounds from continuing its investigation.
tortured him in custody continues.
The movie Rocketry: The Nambi Effect
The autobiographical book begins from is based on his life, starred and directed by
his childhood and quickly takes you actor R. Madhavan and was released on 1
through his journey till he became a st July 2022.

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