Veteran Scientist Dr. K. Kasturirangan Passes Away
Renowned scientist and former ISRO Chairman Dr. K. Kasturirangan passed away on May 9, 2026, at the age of 85.
2-Minute Summary (TL;DR)
- Former ISRO Chairman Dr. K. Kasturirangan passed away at 85.
- He headed ISRO during the development of PSLV and GSLV.
- He was the chairman of the committee that drafted NEP 2020.
- Recipient of Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.
How This Topic is Tested in Competitive Exams
| Exam | Frequency | Approx. Marks | What Gets Asked |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS) | Medium | 2–4 | Miscellaneous GK including appointments, books, summits, and records appears in SSC. |
| UPSC / State PCS | Low | 2–5 | UPSC focuses on depth, not breadth. General items are tested only when they have policy relevance. |
| Railway (RRB NTPC / Group D) | Medium | 2–4 | Miscellaneous GK about India and the world is standard in Railway papers. |
What to Memorize from This Topic
- Appointments: new heads of organizations, ministries, and international bodies
- Books and authors in the news — especially by current heads of state or notable personalities
- First-ever achievements: India's firsts, world firsts, records broken
- Summits and their dates, venue, and key declarations
- Obituaries: notable personalities, their field, and contribution
Practice Questions
Q1. Dr. K. Kasturirangan was the former Chairman of which organization?
- DRDO
- ISRO
- BARC
- CSIR
Explanation: Dr. K. Kasturirangan was the former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Q2. Dr. Kasturirangan headed the committee for which major national policy?
- National Health Policy
- National Education Policy 2020
- National Water Policy
- National Telecom Policy
Explanation: He was the primary architect and chairman of the committee that drafted the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
How to Prepare Current Affairs for Government Exams
For general current affairs, read the PIB (Press Information Bureau) daily digest. It covers government announcements that directly map to exam questions.
Maintain a 'Monthly Top 50' list — the 50 most important facts from the month. Revise this before every mock test.
Focus on news from the last 6–8 months before your exam date. Older news rarely appears unless it was a landmark event.
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