In 2020, ISRO had authorised the heads of its various centres and units across the country with the power to accept resignations or requests for voluntary retirements of Group A scientific or technical staff up to a certain rank working under them. (Source: File)Following a spate of resignations of people working on crucial projects, including human spaceflight programme Gaganyaan, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has decided not to accept requests for voluntary retirement or resignations of senior scientific staff associated with important missions with a review at the very top.In 2020, ISRO had authorised the heads of its various centres and units across the country with the power to accept resignations or requests for voluntary retirements of Group A scientific or technical staff up to a certain rank working under them.However, in a fresh order on July 14, it has said that such requests would now have to be referred to the department (Department of Space) for action.“Of late, it is noticed that there has been spate of requests for voluntary retirement and resignation from Group ‘A’ Scientific/Technical personnel of ISRO including those associated with the prestigious Gaganyaan and other important missions/projects severely impacting the implementation of projects of national importance,” the order from ISRO said.“In view of this, it has been decided that voluntary retirement and resignation requests from Scientific and Technical personnel associated with Gaganyaan and other important missions/projects may not be accepted as a matter of routine,” it said.“Any such requests received from Scientific/Technical personnel, even of and below the rank of scientist/engineer-SG, may be sent to the Department with clear recommendations of the Directors of Centres/Heads of Units for final decision,” it said.Following the opening of the space sector to private parties in the last one decade, scientists and engineers working in the area have new career opportunities with better pay and perks. Almost all the private space companies operating in India, some of whom have become reasonably successful, have staff that were either working with, or retired from, ISRO.