Talent exodus at ISRO: Department of Space restricts resignations of mission-critical scientists

Bengaluru, July 17 (AHN) In a major administrative intervention aimed at safeguarding India's ambitious space programmes, the Department of Space (DoS) has tightened rules governing resignations and voluntary retirement of scientists working on mission-critical projects, following reports that more than 100 personnel have left the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in recent months.

The departures have renewed concerns about the loss of institutional knowledge at a time when ISRO is simultaneously pursuing multiple high-profile missions, including Gaganyaan, future lunar exploration projects, and advanced satellite programmes, officials said on Thursday.

While the Department of Space has not officially disclosed the number of resignations, institutional sources quoted in media reports estimate that between 100 and 120 scientists and technical experts have left the organisation over the past year.

Responding to concerns, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan acknowledged the resignations but said that employee turnover is a normal feature of large organisations.

He emphasised that the new memorandum is intended to retain experienced personnel while ensuring that critical national missions are not disrupted by sudden exits.

The move comes amid growing concerns over a talent exodus from India's premier space agency, with several senior scientists associated with flagship missions such as Chandrayaan-3, the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), and the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme reportedly resigning to pursue opportunities in the private sector.

According to reports, the Department of Space issued an internal memorandum on July 14, directing that resignation and voluntary retirement requests from Group 'A' scientific and technical personnel involved in strategically important missions will no longer be processed routinely. Instead, ISRO centre directors have been instructed to defer approvals until the completion of the concerned projects.

Under the revised policy, all pending and future exit applications from scientists working on key national missions must be forwarded to the Department of Space in New Delhi, along with recommendations from the respective centre directors, for final approval.

The directive marks a significant departure from guidelines introduced in November 2020, which had empowered directors of ISRO centres and unit heads to approve resignations and voluntary retirements for personnel up to the rank of Scientist/Engineer-SG.

The attrition appears to have particularly affected some of ISRO's most prominent centres.

Bengaluru's U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), which plays a key role in satellite development, has reportedly witnessed nearly 80 resignations, while the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram has seen at least 20 scientists step down.

Among the notable departures are said to be Victor Joseph, Project Director for the LVM3 launch vehicle programme; the Project Director of SpaDeX, India's pioneering space docking mission; and Aditya Rallapalli, the simulation project manager for Chandrayaan-3, who led the team responsible for validating the lunar landing sequence through more than 100,000 simulations.

Industry observers attribute the trend largely to the emergence of India's rapidly expanding private space sector, which is offering significantly higher salaries, greater flexibility, and attractive career opportunities for experienced scientists and engineers.

Historically, attrition has remained a challenge for ISRO.

Official records indicate that nearly half of all fresh recruits left the organisation between 2004 and 2007, while nearly 700 employees resigned between 2012 and 2024.

Parliamentary data presented earlier this year also revealed that ISRO's scientific and technical workforce is operating below sanctioned strength, with more than 1,600 vacancies yet to be filled.

Despite the recent departures, ISRO has maintained that responsibilities are being reassigned systematically and that flagship missions, including Gaganyaan, remain on schedule.