ISRO Faces Talent Exodus: More Than 100 Scientists Working on Gaganyaan and Other Missions Resign

In a major administrative intervention aimed at protecting India’s most ambitious space exploration timelines, the Department of Space (DoS) has introduced stringent rules governing the resignation and voluntary retirement of scientists. The sudden policy shift, outlined in an internal memorandum dated 14 July 2026, directly targets Group ‘A’ scientific and technical personnel. It mandates that exit requests from individuals involved in flagship programmes, including the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, will no longer be accepted as a matter of routine.

Reversing Autonomy to Protect Flagship Missions

The new directive effectively overturns a critical administrative reform introduced in November 2020. Under the previous guidelines, directors of various Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) centres and unit heads held the authority to approve voluntary retirements and resignations for personnel up to the rank of Scientist/Engineer-SG.


With the implementation of the new directive, this local authority has been suspended for personnel working on strategically vital projects. Centre directors have now been instructed to defer approvals until the respective missions are completed. Any pending or new exit application must be forwarded directly to the DoS in New Delhi, accompanied by the concerned centre director’s formal recommendation, for final approval.