Eulogy for K Kasturirangan: Visionary Leader in Space, Education and Conservation (1940-2025)

 

Dr Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, one of the few living scientists who worked in ISRO with the founder of Indian space program - Dr Vikram Sarabhai – a visionary and a versatile leader who headed ISRO for a decade and went beyond his space specialisation in contributing to the nation in the field of education and conservation, and the man who befittingly was conferred with all the three Padma awards ( Padma Shri-1982, Padma Bhushan-1992 and Padma Vibhushan-2000) passed away peacefully in his home in Bangalore on 25 April, 2025 at 10.43AM. He was 84. It is reported that arrangements are being made to provide an opportunity to the visitors to pay their last respect to the space scientist at the Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru, where his body will be kept on Sunday, 27 April between 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon.

The nation led by our Honourable President and many other distinguished citizens – Mr Kharge Congress President, senior scientists from ISRO and other institutions -  paid rich tributes to Kasturirangan on their tweeter handle X, hailing his profound contributions in the nation building not only in the field of space but also in many other fields - NEP 2020.  The PM wrote on his X “I am deeply saddened by the passing away of Dr K Kasturirangan, a towering figure in India’s scientific and educational journey…….” Dr Kasturirangan leaves behind an indelible mark on our nation, which deservingly honoured him with all the three Padma Awards – Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.

Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan navigated the Indian Space programme for 9 plus years’ (1994-2003) as the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Space Commission and Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Space, before laying down his office on August 27, 2003. It is to his credit that ISRO achieved near 100% success in the 29 space missions that were launched during his leadership of ISRO.

Under his leadership, Indian space program attained several major milestones including the successful launching and operationalisation of the India’s prestigious launch vehicles, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). It was during his time that ISRO witnessed the development and launching of some of the world’s best civilian remote sensing satellites, IRS-1C and 1D, and successful launch and benefits from new generation INSAT communication satellites and ocean observation satellites IRS-P3/P4 which benefitted the nation in ocean observations - warnings from cyclones etc. His efforts and those of his predecessors and successors have put India as a pre-eminent space-faring nation among the handful of six countries that have major space programmes. Today ISRO is a pride of the nation.

Born on October 24, 1940, in Ernakulum, Kerala, Dr. Kasturirangan hailed from a family that valued education deeply. His paternal grandfather ensured a strong educational foundation for his family, and his father, a chemistry graduate, worked as a senior accountant with the then Tata Airlines - later it became Indian Airlines. Unfortunately, Kasturirangan lost his mother when he was very young and therefore his father left him in the care of his maternal grandparents in Kerala. Kasturirangan, studied at the Sree Rama Varma High School in Ernakulum. At the age of 10, Kasturirangan lost his grandfather compelling his father to take him to Bombay (now Mumbai).

In Bombay Kasturirangan studied at the South Indian Education Society High School in Matunga. It was here that he fell in love with science. He later pursued a BSc Honours in Physics (1961) and an MSc in Physics with specialisation in electronics (1963), which he completed from Mumbai University. He then moved to PRL Ahmedabad as a research scholar to take up his research under Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the founder of space program in India, who had also founded the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad. It was during this period that Kasturirangan dreamed of being a part of the team of Dr Sarabhai to achieve his vision for India to adopt space technology for nation development. Kasturirangan obtained his PhD in Experimental High Energy Astronomy under the guidance of Dr Sarabhai from the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad in 1971. This was the beginning of his stellar career in space research, which was to last for nearly four decades. From his initial days in ISRO, Dr Kasturirangan was involved in the satellite division and was part of the team led by Dr UR Rao that went into building the Aryabhata, the first Indian satellite. He later worked for many years at the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore, as the Deputy Director and Director of the Centre before becoming the Chairman of ISRO in 1994.  

One interesting anecdote stands out when we describe the tenure of Dr. Kasturirangan as the Chairman of ISRO. ISRO had a near-100% success in all its programs by way of 29 successful missions (of satellites and launch vehicles), including four commercial/foreign satellites launched under his leadership. It is to be noted that Kasturirangan took on the mantle of the Chairman ISRO in 1994 from the legendary UR Rao, who along with his predecessors, Prof Dhawan and Dr Sarabhai, had laid an extraordinarily strong foundation for ISRO, including creating a culture that was destined to stand out for excellence and that too at frugal cost.

Unfortunately, when Kasturirangan took charge of the Chairman ISRO in 1994, ISRO was passing through testing times. The maiden launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV D1), which was attempted in September 1993 – PSLV is now a giant workhorse for ISRO – during Prof. Rao’s tenure, had failed. There were also other challenges of making advanced remote sensing satellites (IRS) and more importantly an unprecedented espionage charge on ISRO scientists, which he had to address. One of the first success that he faced was the successful launch of the PSLV D2 on 15 October 1994, within few months of his becoming the Chairman. However, there were serious challenges to be faced.

Just a month after the success of PSLV D2, Sankaralingam Nambi Narayanan, one of the top scientists of ISRO, and four others, including two Maldivian women, were arrested by the Kerala Police in November 1994. They were arrested under the Official Secrets Act on the serious charges of espionage and spying for Pakistan. Nambi Narayanan was taken in to custody and remained there for nearly 50 days. This news with plenty of masala – Bollywood style – had made national headline resulting in demoralising ISRO scientists and others who worked so passionately for ISRO.  

In the early 1990s Nambi Narayanan was one of ISROs top scientists who was working on the critical cryogenics technology. India was negotiating with the Soviet Union and the United States for access to cryogenics technology, which uses low temperatures to store fuel in a liquid state. After many negotiations India had agreed to buy this technology from the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, due to the disintegration of the USSR, politics played spoilsport and the Russians backed out from the agreement to provide cryogenic technology to India.  Therefore, Nambirajan and his team, working on this technology, were very important for ISRO. Allegation of espionage and arrest of Nambirajan came as a major blow, not just on the morale of the scientists but also on Kasturirangan who had just taken over the mantle of ISRO.

Addressing this issue was of paramount importance to Dr Kasturirangan not only to boost the sagging morale of ISRO but also to re-establish the impeccable integrity image of ISRO. This matter, of utmost sensitivity, was handled by Dr. Kasturirangan in his “characteristic quiet way” of handling of such stressful issues. My engineering class mate - a friend cum relative - Dr Amaresh Khened, former Director ISRO, who had joined ISRO in 1991 in the satellite centre of ISRO, which Dr Kasturirangan was heading, used to speak about his style of handling matters.

Dr Kasturirangan, it is said, worked quietly on this sensitive issue and obtained all the details which he could muster and went about conducting his own reviews and inquiry on the case. Once he was convinced that there was no - so called - spying or espionage that had taken place, and the charges made against ISRO scientists were false and frivolous, he approached the office of the Prime Minister and spoke to late Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao, the then PM, and convinced him to involve CBI in the matter to probe the case. Based on the findings of CBI, the case filed by the Kerala Police of espionage against ISRO scientists, with their own so called evidences, was dismissed by a local court in Kerala in 1996 and Nambi Narayanan and others accused in the episode were declared innocent.

However, it is a different matter that the case took a political turn and the Kerala Government went in appeal and the case went on for many more years – decades - until the Supreme Court gave its conclusive judgment of innocence of Nambi Narayan and all others from ISRO from the allegations. The Supreme Court went a step further in ordering for compensation to Narayanan and instructing the Government to initiate probe against the Kerala Police officers who had made these false allegations and had ruined the careers of Narayan and others. The sensitivity with which this case was handled in the initial stages by Kasturirangan who sought for the investigation by CBI helped ISRO redeem its pride with the exemplary judgment of the Supreme Court.

Perhaps it was this testing time that Dr Kasturirangan faced in the beginning of his career as the head of ISRO that made him cautious, which showed up in 100% successful results. Although the number of space missions were just 29 in his tenure, it is noteworthy that all of these missions were successful, notwithstanding the reality that space missions are rid with risks and complications.

Dr Kasturirangan, spent most of his time with ISRO with the Satellite Centre (ISAC) in Bangalore, before becoming the Chairman ISRO. This was befitting considering his educational background of being an astrophysicist, with specialization in high-energy X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy, as well as optical astronomy. Moreover, he was always interested in the vision of his mentor that space applications should benefit grassroots development which he knew would be possible through satellites.  This helped ISRO to pioneering research on cosmic X-ray sources, celestial gamma-rays, and their atmospheric effects. Dr Rangan’s early work included “determining the spectrum of diffused cosmic X-rays and studying the spectral behaviour of celestial sources like ScoX-1 and CygX-1.”  

At ISRO, Dr Kasturirangan began his career as a physicist and rose to become the Director of the ISRO Satellite Centre (1990–1994), where he oversaw the development of advanced spacecraft such as the Indian National Satellite (INSAT-2) and Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS-1A and 1B). He also served as the Project Director for India’s first experimental earth observation satellites, Bhaskara-I and II, and later directed the operational IRS-1A.

Dr. Kasturirangan steered ISRO to remarkable milestones with the successful launch of the PSLV and GSLV, which helped India to be among the elite spacefaring nations. During his time as the Chairman, with early learnings from design and launch of satellite and launch vehicles success and failures, he led ISRO in the development of world-class civilian satellites like IRS-1C and 1D, advanced INSAT communication satellites, and ocean observation satellites IRS-P3 and P4. His vision also laid the groundwork for India’s planetary exploration, defining the Chandrayaan-1 mission, which marked India’s entry into lunar exploration. Dr. Kasturirangan’s emphasis on remote sensing and spatial technologies revolutionized applications in agriculture, disaster management, and resource mapping, benefiting both India and the global community.

Even after he stepped down from ISRO in 2003, Dr Kasturirangan remained ever active in mantling diverse responsibilities in the nation building exercises and assignments that came his way. He served a full term – 2003-09 - as a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and also as a member of the Planning Commission (Niti Ayog). Dr Kasturirangan served as the head of a committee tasked with creating the National Education Policy 2020 for India.  Later in September 2021, he was appointed as the head of a 12-member steering committee which was responsible for developing a new National Curriculum Framework (NCF), post the NEP 2020. Dr Kasturirangan is the recipient of several Honorary Doctorate from as many as 27 universities. He is fellow of all the Science and Engineering academies in India. He has also served as the Chairman of the Governing Body of several premier academic and research institutions in India. He also served as the Society Member of the National Council of Science Museums, my parent organisation. The list is too long to be quoted.  

The New Education Policy (NEP2020) is hailed as revolutionary. NEP 2020 was drafted by a committee which was chaired by Dr Kasturirangan. NEP introduced transformative reforms like the 5+3+3+4 structure and flexible examinations, cross disciplinary study, mother tongue and regional languages as medium of instructions, multidisciplinary and holistic education, National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, multiple entry and exit options in higher education, integration of vocational, education and skilling from early grades, shift away from rote learning towards experiential and critical thinking based learning which also included mandatory visit to real life experiences from visits to museums, science centres and historical places etc. As a museum professional I am certain that learning from visit to museums and historical sites helps in critical thinking and it also benefits the museums in increased visitors. The NEP draft was driven by his belief in the need for diverse, interdisciplinary education.

His environmental stewardship shone through his role as Chairman of the Western Ghats Biodiversity Report, a critical effort to preserve one of India’s ecological treasures, following the pioneering work of Professor Madhav Godbole committee. This report, though not fully adopted, highlighted his foresight in balancing development with conservation.

Dr. Kasturirangan’s contributions were recognized with numerous accolades. He was honoured with India’s highest civilian awards: the Padma Shri (1982), Padma Bhushan (1992), and Padma Vibhushan (2000). Internationally, he received the Brock Medal (2004) from the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, the Allan D Emil Memorial Award (2004), and the Theodore von Karman Award (2007) from the International Academy of Astronautics. He was also conferred the title of Officer of the Légion d’Honneur by France. Nationally, his awards included the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Engineering, the Aryabhata Award (2003), the Asutosh Mookerjee Memorial Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council, among many others. He published over 200 papers in astronomy, space science, and applications, and edited six books, leaving a rich intellectual legacy.

I have had a limited association with Dr Kasturirangan. I first wrote to him in early 2001, for seeking the guidance, support and mentorship of ISRO for the development of a gallery “Hall of Aerospace, which we were developing at the Nehru Science Centre. We received outstanding support from ISRO in the development of this gallery which was opened in December 2003. His support reflected his commitment to science communication and public engagement.

Nehru Science Centre with support and collaboration with ISRO and the National Centre for Science Communicators organised two major birth centenary conferences in memory of Dr Sarabhai and Prof Satish Dhawan. I had the privilege of sharing the stage as one of the invited speakers with Dr. Kasturirangan, Prof Jyotsna Dhawan, daughter of Prof Satish Dhawan and Dr Pramod Kale, former Director Space Application Centre, during the centenary tribute to Prof. Satish Dhawan at the Nehru Science Centre, an event that showcased his extraordinary humility and wisdom.

Dr. Kasturirangan’s life was a testament to selfless service, blending scientific innovation, educational reform, and environmental advocacy. As Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, a member of the Rajya Sabha (2003–2009), and a member of the Planning Commission, he continued to shape India’s future with his visionary leadership. As we bid farewell to Dr. Kasturirangan, we celebrate a true architect of modern India—a scientist, educationist, and patriot whose legacy will inspire generations.

Rest in peace, sir, and thank you for your extraordinary contributions to nation-building.

Images Credit : Courtesy Wikipedia, Nehru Science Centre and Google search images 

PS: I wish to credit my senior in school Sangappa Kori Sir, who is one of the regular readers of my blogs who compelled – avoiding using the term ragged, most common with Ajeets, alumni of SSBJ - me to pen my tribute. Thanks Kori Sir and I hope I have come up to your expectation.