Key Points

AMIDST CONCERNS regarding the rising departure of scientists from the Indian Space Research Organization, the Department of Space (DoS) has tightened exit rules that govern voluntary retirements and resignations of scientists. According to a report by the Times of India, over 100 ISRO scientists have backed out of India’s Gaganyaan mission — the nation’s first human spaceflight mission — and other strategically important space programs. To curb the rising amount of exits, the DoS has issued fresh directives on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

What the New Department of Space Directive Says 

In an internal memorandum issued by the Department of Space, it was stated that resignation or voluntary retirement request filed by Category ‘A’ Scientific and Technical personnel, that are working for Gaganyaan or other key space missions, must not be “routinely accepted” by ISRO centers. In place, these exit pleas must now be directed to the DoS which holds the authority for final approval. The memorandum also stated that scientific and technical personnel will not be allowed to resign until their concerned projects are completed.

This new directive overturns a previous 2020 administrative order that allowed ISRO center directors and heads of units to accept resignation and voluntary retirement requests from Group A scientific and technical personnel up to the Scientist/Engineer-SG level. 

See also: "Too Much Tension": Former ISRO Scientist Finds Peace as Restaurant Manager, Video Goes Viral

How Many ISRO Scientists Have Resigned So Far? 

While the DoS has not publicly revealed the exact number of ISRO scientists who have departed from the institution, a Times of India report alleges that around 100-120 scientists have resigned in the past few months.

According to the report, around 80 scientists resigned from the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru, while Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram reportedly recorded 20 departed. However, sources indicated that the actual number of the resignations  could be much higher, as several resignation requests are currently under evaluation.

The departures reportedly include many senior and high-profile scientists. Among them were LVM3 Project Director Victor Joseph, the SpaDeX Project Director from URSC, and Aditya Rallapalli — a key Chandrayaan-3 scientist who led the simulation team that generated nearly 25 terabytes of mission data through more than 1,00,000 simulations, which helped to validate the spacecraft’s historic lunar landing sequence.

See also: ISRO’s PSLV-C62 Mission Ends in Failure After Third-Stage Anomaly, 16 Satellites Lost

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan's Response to ISRO Exits

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan has acknowledged the resignation, but downplayed concerns and stated that the organization remains well-equipped to manage this situation and that resignations are a normal part of any organization. He further remarked that the internal memorandum was issued not only to “retain talent” but also to make sure that important space projects aren't affected by sudden departures. 

In a statement given to TOI, Narayanan said: “Yes, a lot of people go, but that's part of every organization. The move isn't only to retain, but also to ensure that important projects don't suffer all of a sudden. If someone is still going, someone else will take responsibility. We're taking care of it.”

The TOI report further pointed toward a previous trend of resignation from ISRO. Reportedly, over half of the new recruits of the space organizations resigned from their positions between 2004 and 2007. During 2012-2024, over 700 resignations were reported.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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