March 28, 2022
Aparupa Poddar’s Rule 377 notice on the high attrition of IIST graduates from ISRO
Madam, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) was founded in 2007 to launch new generation of young space scientists into the control rooms of the Indian Space Research Organisation. It comes under the aegis of the Department of Space and offers both B. Tech and integrated M. Tech courses focussed around three main areas of aerospace engineering, avionics and physical sciences. Upon Graduation, the students are typically absorbed by ISRO, subject to available positions. They are contractually obligated to work at the agency for a minimum of three years, a necessary condition for acceptance into IIST. Starting from the very first batch that joined ISRO in 2011, former IIST students have been quitting the organisation even before their stipulated contract ends, paying lakhs out of their pocket to leave. The absence of a culture of innovation and a lack of focus on research were among the issues along with no choice in picking the area of specialisation they wish to work on. This has resulted in many graduating with one specialisation and ending up working in another. I request the Government to kindly intervene and take
suitable policy measures to retain our home-grown talent and control the unusual high rate of attrition of students graduating from IIST in order to bolster our space programme.
