Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan
5thChairman of ISRO
In office 1994 (1994) – 27 August 2003 (2003-08-27)
Preceded by	Udupi Ramachandra Rao
Succeeded by	G. Madhavan Nair

Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan (24 October 1940 – 25 April 2025) was an Indian space scientist who headedISRO from 1994 to 2003.^[1] Until his death, he was Chancellor ofCentral University of Rajasthan^[2] andNIIT University.^[3] He was also chancellor ofJawaharlal Nehru University^[4] and the chairman of Karnataka Knowledge Commission.^[5] He was a member of theRajya Sabha (2003–09) and a former member of thePlanning Commission of India which was renamed asNITI Aayog in 2015. He was also the director of theNational Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, from April 2004 to 2009. He was a recipient of the three major civilian awards from theGovernment of India: thePadma Shri, thePadma Bhushan and thePadma Vibhushan.^[6]

Kasturirangan was born on 24 October 1940, atErnakulam in the erstwhileKingdom of Cochin, to C. M. Krishnaswamy Iyer and Visalakshi. Kasturirangan's forefathers hailed fromTamil Nadu and later settled down in different parts ofKerala; his maternal forefathers settled in Nallepalli Agraharam, inChittur taluk,Palakkad district and his paternal forefathers settled in the town ofChalakudy, nearThrissur. Kasturirangan's maternal grandfather Sri Ananthanarayana Iyer completed his school and college education and became a sanitary inspector inErnakulam. He was well-respected in the community for his discipline and integrity. He and his wife Narayani had four daughters and a son, the eldest of whom was Visalakshi.^{[citation needed]}

Kasturirangan's paternal grandfather, Chalakudy Manikam Iyer, being mindful of the importance of education, ensured that all his sons received a sound education up to graduation. Kasturirangan's father was a graduate in chemistry fromMaharaja's College, Ernakulam. He worked in a variety of administrative capacities atTata Airlines and retired as a senior accountant officer at theIndian Airlines Corporation. Kasturirangan and his brother Ravi spent their early childhood in Ernakulam in the care of their maternal grandparents after the death of their mother. At the age of ten, after the sudden death of his grandfather, he joined his father inBombay (now Mumbai) along with his brother.^{[citation needed]}

Shortly after completing his PhD in 1969, Kasturirangan married Lakshmi. They have two sons, Rajesh and Sanjay. His wife died in 1991.^[7]

Kasturirangan did his schooling atSree Rama Varma High School.^[8] Kasturirangan graduated in science with honours fromRamnarain Ruia College,^[9] Mumbai, and obtained his Master of Science degree in physics from theUniversity of Mumbai.^[10] He received his Doctorate Degree in experimentalhigh-energy astronomy in 1971, working at thePhysical Research Laboratory,Ahmedabad.^{[citation needed]} He published more than 240 papers in the areas of astronomy, space science and applications.^{[citation needed]}

Kasturirangan served as Chairman of theIndian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for 9 years, Chairman of Space Commission andSecretary to the Government of India in theDepartment of Space, before laying down his office on 27 August 2003.^{[citation needed]} In ISRO he served as the director ofISRO Satellite Centre, overseeing the development of new generation spacecraft, theIndian National Satellite System (INSAT-2), theIndian remote sensing satellites (IRS-1A and-1B) as well asscientific satellites.^{[citation needed]} He was also the project director for India's first two experimental earth observation satellites,Bhaskara-I and II.^{[citation needed]}

Under his leadership, the programme witnessed several major milestones including the successful launching and operationalisation of the India's prestigious launch vehicles, thePolar Satellite Launch Vehicle and theGeosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).^{[citation needed]} Studies on the advanced version of the GSLV, GSLVMk-III, were also completed, including defining its full configuration. Further, he also oversaw the development and launching of THE remote sensing satellites,IRS-1C andIRS-1D, realisation of new generation INSAT communication satellites, besides ocean observation satellitesIRS-P3 and-P4.^{[citation needed]} He also led the initiative for India to enter theplanetary exploration era by extensive studies leading to the definition ofChandrayaan-1. These efforts have put India as a pre-eminent space-faring nation among the handful of six countries that have major space programmes.^{[citation needed]} As an astrophysicist, Kasturirangan's interests included research inhigh-energy X-rays andgamma-ray astronomy, as well asoptical astronomy. Defining India's most ambitious space basedhigh-energy astronomy observatory and initiating related activities was also an important milestone under his leadership.^{[citation needed]} He made extensive and significant contributions to studies ofcosmic X-ray andgamma-ray sources and effect of cosmic X-rays in the lower atmosphere.^{[citation needed]}

Kasturirangan led a high-level Working Group on the Western Ghats in 2012 to revisit the recommendations of the Gadgil Committee on zoning.^[11] Kasturirangan was head of a committee tasked with creating theNational Education Policy 2020 for India.^[12] Later in September 2021, he was appointed as the head of a 12-member steering committee which would be responsible for developing a new National Curriculum Framework. This committee, having been given a tenure of three years, will be the guiding document for the development of textbooks, syllabi and teaching practices of schools across the country.^[13][14]

Kasturirangan also served as a member of the board of trustees of the Raman Research Institute Trust, Bengaluru.^[15]

Kasturirangan died on 25 April 2025, at the age of 84.^[16]

Kasturirangan was the recipient of honorary doctorates from 27 universities.^[27]

Kasturirangan was the superior officer of ISRO whenNambi Narayanan was accused of selling secrets to Pakistan. Kasturirangan's lack of help to the latter was noted in the movieRocketry: The Nambi Effect.^{[citation needed]}

• Dr. Kasturirangan's biodata at ISRO
• India's Space Enterprise : A Case Study in Strategic Thinking and PlanningArchived 24 August 2006 at theWayback Machine

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• Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in science & engineering
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• Educators from Kerala
• 20th-century Indian physicists
• Recipients of the Rajyotsava Award 2014
• Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Engineering Science
• Om Prakash Bhasin Award recipients

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