Give talent space

Isro needs stronger gravitational pull, not sealed doors, to address problem of staff attrition

Attrition is not a new problem for Isro. In 2006, it lost 187 newly trained scientists. Mainly due to better pay in the private sector. Now, about 100 have quit in the past few months, TOI reported on Thursday. Can we shrug it off as more of the same? No. As we wrote on Monday, the space race has become intense, and SpaceX, with its reusable rockets, has cornered most of the commercial pie. Isro’s share in the satellite launch market has slipped below 2%. Beyond that, there’s space exploration. Everybody’s aiming to land on Moon, and Mars is the next frontier. India has its own manned mission – Gaganyaan – lined up. So, this is a bad time to be losing people.

But Department of Space’s response to the problem won’t work. Making it hard for staff to walk out maintains bench strength without translating into output. Instead, DoS should address the root of dissatisfaction. In 2017, when Isro had lost a few hundred people within three years, its former chief Madhavan Nair had cited lack of new projects, innovation, and organisational vision as reasons. Insiders say the organisation has a morale problem on its hands again. With the difference that there are plenty of private sector opportunities around.

Bright scientists and engineers need freedom to attempt new things, and fail. But if failure leads to limbo, self-worth and job satisfaction are affected. Bureaucrats can’t understand this, and one hopes they aren’t calling the shots at Isro. It would be a mistake to run Isro like, say, Food Corporation of India. So, two things the organisation must immediately give scientists are meaningful work and operational autonomy. Their pay also has to be competitive. As for those who still want to leave, they should be allowed to go. We’re a free country.

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