K. Kasturirangan (1940–2025): Architect of India's Space Programme and Education Policy Vision
Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan was a rare personality who contributed to diverse fields such as Indian space missions, national policy, environment, education, and institution-building. In Kasturirangan, we see an amalgamation of radiating passion, boundless energy and enthusiasm, and an inquisitive mind combined with an uncompromising quest to bring out the best in every initiative. He remained eager to learn new ideas, explore new areas, and take up challenging tasks across diverse fields throughout his life, while always appreciating achievements by giving due credit to teams, moulding individuals and programmes—and, above all, remaining a warm human being. It is not often that we come across a personality like Kasturirangan. The nation has lost a luminary.
Fondly called 'Dr. Rangan', he belonged to the generation that witnessed the country's journey since Independence and grew along with it. With a burning desire to make the nation self-sufficient and a frontrunner in cutting-edge technology and scientific discovery, his contribution to space science programmes was unparalleled, beginning with the first Indian mission, Aryabhata, launched exactly 50 years ago. Trained in basic sciences, his journey from the Physical Research Laboratory to the highest position in the Indian Space Research Organisation was exemplary. His areas of interest included high-energy astrophysics, X-ray astronomy, and astronomical instrumentation, and he was keen to attract the best talent in the world to India to set up futuristic experiments.
While becoming Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation might seem the culmination of an exemplary career spanning three and a half decades, for Rangan, it was only the beginning of a new phase of pursuit. He transformed himself from the leader of critical space missions to a policymaker, leading the committee for the conservation of the Western Ghats and subsequently the committee that drafted the National Education Policy 2020. He also served the country as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Kasturirangan personified the belief that age is just a number when it comes to new learning, new fields, and new challenges.
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He contributed to the growth of many academic and educational institutions in the country in various ways. His guidance to several top institutions, such as the Indian Institute of Science and Jawaharlal Nehru University, reflected his passion for scientific and academic pursuits. He provided his guidance and support to almost all the institutions in the areas of astronomy, astrophysics, and space sciences by heading their governing boards. He nurtured the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, for a long time, starting with its formation. Under his leadership, ARIES set up the largest telescopes in the country—the 3.4-metre telescope, the 4-metre liquid mirror telescope, and the ST radar facilities.
Most of the major facilities in these fields benefited from his valuable guidance. Until recently, he chaired the governing board of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA). He also chaired the governing council of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics when the Institute was constructing the Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) for the AstroSat mission. His leadership was crucial to the successful fabrication of UVIT, including the setting up of the space science laboratory where UVIT was integrated. This laboratory went on to integrate and deliver the VELC instrument on board the Aditya-L1 mission and currently supports several space start-ups in their payload testing.
The first Indian space observatory, AstroSat, took shape under his guidance, and he personally monitored the scientific, technical, and managerial aspects of the project. He co-authored an article summarising the five-year scientific achievements of the AstroSat mission. An academician at heart, he maintained an unwavering and uncompromising approach to scientific pursuits. His energy and enthusiasm for discussing scientific topics with a passion for pushing the boundaries of understanding were unparalleled. I have had several experiences where a 10-minute discussion with him would leave me with so many thought-provoking ideas—enough to ponder over for months. He had a characteristic style of narrating situations and naturally highlighting the most critical aspects. His push to maximise scientific returns from various instruments led to the success of missions such as AstroSat, the Chandrayaan series, and Aditya-L1. With the passing of Rangan, the scientific community has lost a passionate and enthusiastic mentor.
His vision for India
He believed in 'Make in India' and pushed for the nation to become self-reliant in critical technologies. A visionary, he planned many futuristic missions that helped develop capacity building in the country. His hallmark was ensuring that each mission contributed to building capacity in critical technologies, alongside achieving impactful scientific output. He was a keen supporter of the Thirty Metre Telescope project and was determined that India should develop the technical know-how required. He was particularly keen for India to contribute major hardware to the project and thereby master segmented mirror technology. He was very happy to witness the setting up of a large mirror fabrication facility in India, at the Hosakote campus of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
Rangan's contribution to the nation also included his leadership of science academies and scientific societies. He was a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru, and served as its President from 2003 to 2005. He was a Fellow and former President of the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI), and a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). He also headed the Astronomical Society of India as its President from 1995 to 1997. He was a member of several national and international scientific societies. Rangan was a rare combination of scientist and technologist, who could lead both ISRO and India's premier scientific academies with distinction.
He provided significant leadership support to two innovative institutions. He nurtured and promoted multidisciplinary research and enhanced the visibility of the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS). He also served as Chairman of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission (KKC), which aimed to promote a knowledge society and enhance excellence in the education system. As part of the process of framing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, he carried out extensive discussions and brainstorming sessions with a wide range of stakeholders, educationists, and academicians.
His exemplary, lifelong career—larger than life in many ways—is presented in the book Space and Beyond: Professional Voyage of Dr. K. Kasturirangan, edited by B.N. Suresh, which offers a glimpse into the vast contributions he made to the country. That all of this was achieved in a single human lifetime is almost unimaginable and speaks volumes about his akshayapatra of energy, enthusiasm, and drive for excellence.
Rangan published more than 200 research papers in national and international journals and edited six books. Among the many honours he received were the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award for Engineering Sciences and the national honours of Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan for his scientific and technological contributions.
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When Rangan was Chair of the Governing Council of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), I was editing the Annual Report as a junior faculty member and had the opportunity to present it to him. He called me aside and explained the purpose and intended audience of the report, convincing me to make it more appealing to a wider readership. Later, I had several discussions with him about the scientific discoveries from the Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT), for which I served as the calibration scientist. He was always keen to understand not only the technical details of the work but also the broader impact of the results—not even a single minute with him went unutilised.
Recently, I was thrilled to receive a letter from him personally congratulating me on being selected for the Vigyan Shri award for 2024 in space sciences and technology.
Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan has left behind a monumental legacy and has set very high standards. He will be missed by numerous organisations, academicians, educationists, policymakers, and the list goes on. Many of us will surely miss the intense conversations with him, which acted as boosters to our own scientific pursuits. There are countless lessons he provided for us to learn and imbibe in our journeys. The nation has lost an illustrious and visionary space scientist—one who truly conquered space and beyond.
Annapurni Subramaniam is a Indian astrophysicist and the current Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA)
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