The Department of Space (DoS) has tightened the rules governing resignations and voluntary retirement (VRS) of scientists and technical staff working on the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Gaganyaan mission and other key national projects, amid a growing number of departures from the space agency.
In a directive issued on July 14, the department said resignation and VRS applications from Group A scientific and technical personnel will no longer be processed under the routine approval mechanism. Instead, all such requests will require approval from the Department of Space.
The move comes after reports that more than 100 employees have left ISRO in recent months, with the highest number of resignations reported from Bengaluru’s U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) and Thiruvananthapuram’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
Among those who resigned is senior scientist Victor Joseph T., who served as Project Director for the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk III programme at VSSC.
He reportedly stepped down in February after leading the LVM3 project for about 13 months. The LVM3 rocket is the launch vehicle designated for India’s maiden human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s first mission of 2026, ‘PSLV-C62’, had failed. The rocket took off with 16 satellites from the space centre located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 10:18 AM on January 12
Department of Space to take final call
According to the new order, the growing number of resignations and VRS cases has begun affecting Gaganyaan and other missions of national importance.
As a result, the final decision on all applications seeking resignation or voluntary retirement from scientific and technical staff will now rest with the Department of Space.
The directive has been circulated to major ISRO centres, including URSC, VSSC, Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Space Applications Centre (SAC), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISTRAC and the Master Control Facility (MCF).
Centre directors have been instructed to forward resignation and VRS applications from Scientist/Engineer-SG rank and below, along with their recommendations, to the Department of Space for final approval.
The order reverses an administrative reform introduced in 2020, which had delegated the authority to accept resignations and VRS requests to the directors and heads of ISRO centres.
Private space sector attracting ISRO talent
The tightening of resignation rules comes as India’s private space sector continues to expand rapidly.
Following the opening of the space sector to private participation in 2020 and the implementation of the Indian Space Policy in 2023, many former ISRO scientists have moved to private aerospace companies.
India now has more than 400 registered space startups, which have collectively attracted investments of around $500 million.
Nearly $150 million of that investment came in 2025 alone. Leading companies in the sector include Pixxel, Dhruva Space, Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos and Bellatrix Aerospace.
Former ISRO Chairman Dr. S. Somanath, who led the agency until January 2025, has also joined Chennai-based startup Agnikul Cosmos as an observer on its Board of Directors.
During his tenure, ISRO successfully executed the Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing and launched the Aditya-L1 solar mission.
Recent mission setbacks
The policy change also comes as ISRO works to maintain momentum on several flagship programmes, including Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan-4, the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (Indian Space Station) and Mangalyaan-2.
The space agency has faced setbacks in recent launch missions. In January, the PSLV-C62 mission carrying the EOS-N1 Earth observation satellite reportedly deviated from its intended trajectory following a malfunction near the end of the rocket’s third stage.
Earlier, the PSLV-C61 mission carrying the EOS-09 (RISAT-1B) radar imaging satellite also failed after a sudden drop in chamber pressure during the third stage prevented the rocket from reaching its planned 529-kilometre sun-synchronous orbit.
