The Department of Space (DoS) has tightened rules governing resignations and voluntary retirements of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists after reports of more than 100 personnel leaving the organisation in recent months.
According to NDTV, the DoS issued a memorandum on July 14 directing major ISRO centres not to routinely approve resignation or voluntary retirement requests from Group 'A' scientific and technical personnel associated with the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme and other strategically important missions.
Department of Space centralises approval process
The directive has been sent to several of ISRO's key research and operational centres, including the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Space Applications Centre (SAC), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) and the Master Control Facility (MCF).
According to the memorandum accessed by NDTV, the Department of Space observed a rise in requests for voluntary retirement and resignation from scientific and technical personnel, including employees working on Gaganyaan and other national projects.
The directive stated these exits were affecting the implementation of projects of national importance.
Under the revised process:
- Resignation and voluntary retirement requests from Group 'A' scientific and technical personnel working on Gaganyaan and other important missions will no longer be routinely accepted.
- Requests must now be forwarded to the Department of Space along with recommendations from the respective centre directors.
- The Department of Space will make the final decision on such applications.
The move reverses an administrative decision taken in 2020, which had delegated powers to ISRO centre directors and heads to approve resignations and voluntary retirement requests from Group A scientific and technical employees up to the Scientist/Engineer-SG level.
Talent exits raise concerns
The directive follows reports that more than 100 ISRO personnel have left the organisation, with the UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram recording the highest number of departures.
Among those who exited was Victor Joseph T, who served as Project Director of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (LVM3) project at VSSC. He reportedly left the organisation in February after leading the launch vehicle programme for around 13 months.
NDTV reported that some departing scientists have joined India's rapidly expanding private space sector.
The growth of the ecosystem has accelerated since the Centre opened the space sector to private participation in 2020 and introduced the Indian Space Policy in 2023. According to the report:
- India has more than 400 registered space startups.
- The sector has attracted around $500 million in investments.
- Nearly $150 million of those investments were secured in 2025 alone.
Companies including Pixxel, Dhruva Space, Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos and Bellatrix Aerospace have emerged as key players in the country's commercial space industry.
Critical missions remain a priority
The tighter resignation rules also come as ISRO works to maintain momentum on several flagship programmes despite recent mission setbacks.
According to NDTV, the organisation's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) experienced two consecutive mission failures within a year. The PSLV-C62 mission encountered trajectory deviations during its third stage earlier this year, while the PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission failed in 2025 after a chamber pressure drop during flight.
Even as it addresses these operational challenges, ISRO continues to focus on several strategic programmes, including:
- Gaganyaan, India's first human spaceflight mission.
- Chandrayaan-4, the planned lunar sample return mission.
- Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), India's proposed space station.
- Mangalyaan-2, the country's next Mars exploration mission.
Retaining expertise becomes a strategic priority
The latest directive signals a stronger emphasis on retaining experienced scientific talent as India's space ambitions expand. With multiple high-value missions in development and the domestic private space ecosystem gaining momentum, workforce stability has become an increasingly important part of ISRO's long-term execution strategy.