Overview
- The Department of Space issued a memorandum on July 14 that reverses a 2020 delegation and requires centre directors to forward resignation and voluntary retirement requests for Group 'A' scientific and technical staff attached to Gaganyaan and other strategic missions to DoS for final sign-off.
- Multiple centre and media sources report roughly 100–120 scientists have left ISRO in recent months, with departures concentrated at the UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram and including senior mission leads such as Victor Joseph and Aditya Rallapalli.
- Reports and departing staff point to the rapid growth of India’s private space sector, higher pay and faster career progression at startups, plus internal complaints about centralised decision‑making and delays, as the main drivers of the exodus.
- ISRO leadership says the agency can manage the turnover and recruitment for about 1,050 vacancies is underway, but the DoS directive signals an effort to pause disruptive exits while replacements and cadre reforms proceed.
- Experts warn that administrative controls alone cannot quickly replace mission‑specific expertise and that the trend could slow complex projects; the broader effect may be faster private‑sector growth, pressure to reform ISRO career tracks, and closer scrutiny of timelines for Gaganyaan and other flagship missions.