The Department of Space (DoS) has introduced stricter rules governing resignations and voluntary retirements of scientists working on ISRO‘s flagship missions, following a recent wave of departures that raised concerns over the continuity of critical national space programmes.
According to an internal memorandum dated July 14, scientists associated with the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission and other major projects will no longer be allowed to leave as a matter of routine. Instead, all resignation and voluntary retirement requests must be referred to the Department of Space for a final decision.
New rules aim to protect key missions
The move comes amid reports that between 100 and 120 scientists have resigned from ISRO in recent months. Sources indicated that nearly 80 scientists left the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), while around 20 resigned from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), both of which play crucial roles in India’s space missions.
The memorandum noted that the growing number of resignations among Group ‘A’ scientific and technical personnel was affecting projects of national importance, particularly the Gaganyaan mission.
The new directive also reverses a 2020 administrative order that had empowered ISRO centre directors to approve resignations and voluntary retirements of senior scientific staff. Under the revised policy, such requests from scientists attached to critical missions must receive approval from the Department of Space.
ISRO says projects will continue
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan acknowledged the increase in resignations but said the organisation was equipped to manage the situation.
He stated that while departures are part of any organisation, the new policy is intended to ensure that strategically important missions do not suffer unexpected disruptions. He added that responsibilities would be reassigned whenever necessary to maintain project timelines.
Reports suggest that some of those who resigned were experienced personnel involved in major missions, including Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan-3 and SpaDeX.
Recruitment efforts underway
Although the reported resignations account for a small portion of ISRO’s workforce of more than 14,600 employees, the exits from key centres have raised concerns due to the specialised expertise involved.
ISRO’s latest annual report states that recruitment for around 1,050 scientific, technical and administrative positions is currently underway. The organisation has also approved a cadre review that regularised 466 project posts and created around 460 higher-grade positions to strengthen its workforce.