Science TechnologySaturday, 18 July 2026·The Hindu - Science
DoS memo on ISRO staff exits: Gaganyaan-linked resignations to be held till mission completion
On July 14, 2026, the Department of Space issued a memo asking ISRO centres not to routinely accept resignations from Group A scientific and technical staff on Gaganyaan and other key missions.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On July 14, 2026, the Department of Space issued a memorandum to ISRO centres and units asking them not to routinely accept voluntary retirement or resignation requests from Group A scientific and technical personnel working on Gaganyaan and other national missions.
Key specifics
- Memo date: July 14, 2026; signatory: S.R. Rajashekar, Joint Secretary (Personnel), Department of Space.
- About 100 ISRO personnel had quit across various centres, according to the report.
- Parliament reply on February 11, 2026: sanctioned strength was 18,142 and vacancies were 2,613.
- Recruitment action was initiated for 1,449 posts; 1,261 were in progress in the Science and Technology category.
- Overall vacancy rate cited by the Minister: 14.4%; Gaganyaan’s first uncrewed HLVM3 G1/OM1 mission had been delayed from the first quarter of 2026.
Exam lens
Question type: Polity and governance plus science administration, memo date, sanctioned strength, vacancy percentage, Gaganyaan. TNPSC may ask which ministry/department issued the order and what the sanctioned and vacant ISRO posts were.