ISRO Chief S Somanath Says Won't Publish Autobiography Amid Controversy

ISRO chairman S Somanath said he will no longer publish his autobiography after a controversy over some of his allegedly critical remarks about his predecessor K Sivan in the book.

S Somanath confirmed on Saturday that he has decided to withdraw the publication of the book "Nilavu Kudicha Simhangal" (loosely translates to - Lions That Drank The Moonlight), in light of the controversy.

Earlier in the day, he told news agency PTI that every person has to go through some kind of challenges in their journey to reach the top of an organisation. He was responding to a report that claimed his autobiography had some critical remarks about his predecessor K Sivan.

"People holding such key positions may have to go through several challenges. One among them is the challenges with regards to getting positions in an organisation," he said.

"Many people might be eligible for a significant post. I just tried to bring out that particular point. I didn't target any particular individual in this regard," he explained, admitting that he mentioned in his book the lack of clarity in connection with the announcement of the failure of the Chandrayaan-2 mission.

The ISRO chairman reiterated that his autobiography was an attempt to inspire people who wish to achieve something despite challenges and obstacles in life and not criticise anyone.

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