NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has reportedly removed Neela Rajendra, its Indian-origin top Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) officer, from her position. This move comes after earlier efforts by the lab to retain her by changing her title following the shutdown of the central diversity office in March, in line with a recent executive order by US President Donald Trump.
As per a report by the Washington Free Beacon, JPL had earlier renamed Rajendra’s role and shifted her responsibilities under a new title — head of “employee success” — even though many of her tasks remained the same. This was done in an effort to comply with the federal directive while still maintaining continuity in some DEI functions.
However, an all-staff email sent last Thursday by JPL Director Laurie Leshin confirmed that Neela Rajendra no longer works at the lab. “We are incredibly grateful for the lasting impact she made to our organization. We wish her the very best,” the email read, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
It was also mentioned that the newly formed Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success, which replaced the previous DEI office, would now be part of the Office of Human Resources.
Rajendra’s name was not among the 900 employees laid off earlier this year due to NASA’s budget cuts, raising questions about the reasons for her departure. According to a March email from the lab, her office was meant to continue overseeing efforts such as employee “affinity groups”, including the Black Excellence Strategic Team (B.E.S.T.).
The timing of her exit has drawn attention, especially after a recent incident in which two NASA astronauts — Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore — were stranded on the International Space Station for nine months due to a propulsion system failure. The astronauts were eventually brought back to Earth safely by a SpaceX capsule. This event sparked debate about whether NASA’s focus on DEI had contributed in any way to operational issues or safety concerns.
Rajendra, in 2022, had openly criticised SpaceX for its fast-paced work culture and limited focus on DEI, attributing those factors to the company’s high staff turnover. Ironically, it was SpaceX that rescued NASA’s stranded astronauts, a fact that has drawn some public scrutiny.
NASA has not issued any official statement on Rajendra’s exit.
In March, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at removing DEI-based frameworks from US government agencies. The order stated that recruitment, promotion, and other employment decisions should not be influenced by race, sex, religion, or national origin, and promised to restore what it described as the core values of dignity, hard work, and excellence.
