The Department of Space (DoS) has stepped in to curb a recent wave of resignations from the flagship programmes of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), tightening rules on voluntary retirement and resignations by scientists working on Gaganyaan and other critical missions through a fresh internal memorandum issued on July 14.
While DoS has not disclosed the scale of departures, it is learnt that at least 100-120 Isro officials have left. “Around 80 people have quit from the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) alone. At the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), at least 20 people have left. Overall, it could be roughly up to 120, conservatively. There could be more that are at the evaluation stage,” a source said.
Isro sources said the departures included key personnel like project director Victor Joseph from VSSC. “SpaDeX project director quit from URSC. A very bright young person who was part of Chandrayaan-3 has also quit,” an official said.
Isro chairman V Narayanan acknowledged the departures, but said Isro was prepared to deal with it. “Yes, a lot of people go, but that’s part of every organisation. The memorandum isn’t only to retain, but also to ensure that important projects don’t suffer all of a sudden. But if someone is still going, someone else will take responsibility. We’re taking care of it,” he said.
Although recent departures represent a small fraction of Isro’s overall workforce of 14,600, they have come from strategically important centres. URSC had 1,339 employees, while VSSC, Isro’s largest centre, had 4,577 at the end of last fiscal. The concern has been about losing people from key missions.
The concern is also reflected in the memorandum: “Of late, it is noticed that there has been a spate of requests for voluntary retirement and resignation from Group ‘A’ scientific/technical personnel, including those associated with prestigious Gaganyaan and other important missions/projects severely impacting implementation of projects of national importance.”
The memorandum said resignation and voluntary retirement requests from scientists associated with Gaganyaan and other important missions “may not be accepted as a matter of routine”. Centre directors have been advised not to accept such requests until those projects are completed. Instead, all such cases must be referred to DoS, along with the director’s recommendations, for a final decision.
The order reverses a key administrative change made in 2020. Under a memorandum issued on November 25, 2020, Isro centre directors and heads of units were empowered to accept voluntary retirement and resignation requests from Group A scientific and technical personnel up to scientist/engineer-SG level. That authority has now effectively been withdrawn for scientists attached to Gaganyaan and other major missions.
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