The Trust aims to support research, encourage new ideas and develop practical solutions to societal challenges. Its work will focus on four key areas: space and technology, education, sustainability, and public policy.
The Trust will support researchers through fellowships, scholarships and grants. It will also organise conferences, facilitate book-writing and scientific curation, and collaborate with institutions in India and abroad to promote research and strengthen public policy.
In the long term, the Trust aims to establish an institution dedicated to future-oriented thinking, research and problem-solving for India.
Dr. Sanjay Rangan, Trustee of the Dr Kasturirangan Trust, said, "Dr. Kasturirangan believed in the power of knowledge and research to address the challenges facing our country. Through this Trust, we hope to carry forward his vision by bringing people and institutions together to find solutions that benefit society and support future leaders."
The Trust is guided by Dr. Kasturirangan's values of responsible research, compassion, excellence and respect for nature. It is a non-profit, non-political public charitable trust governed by a Board of Trustees, an Advisory Board and an Executive Council.
The inaugural event in Bengaluru was attended by Anurag Behar, Dr. Sanjay Rangan and Dr Mukund Kasursrinivas Rao, who are Trustees of the Dr Kasturirangan Trust.
The Trust's first initiative is the Dr Kasturirangan 2027 Fellowship, which will support six PhD and post-doctoral researchers whose work spans more than one of the Trust's four focus areas and has real-world application.
Each fellow will receive a one-time award of Rs. 4 lakh towards research costs. The fellowship will also provide mentorship, two workshops a year where researchers can present their work, and membership in a growing peer community.
The fellowship is open to candidates who submitted their PhD thesis between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2026.
In its first year, candidates must be nominated either by a group of eminent individuals who knew Dr. Kasturirangan or by leading universities. An open call for applications is planned for subsequent years.
Nominations for the fellowship will open on October 27, 2026 and close on December 31, 2026. The first cohort of fellows will be announced on April 25, 2027.
Dr. K. Kasturirangan (1940–2025) was a space scientist who led India's space programme as Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from 1994 to 2003.
He later played a role in shaping national science and education policy as a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), a Member of the Planning Commission and Chairman of the committee that drafted the National Education Policy 2020.
He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2000.
Through its research programmes, fellowships and institutional collaborations, the Dr Kasturirangan Trust seeks to carry forward his legacy by supporting research, developing future leaders and encouraging solutions to challenges facing society.
For more information, the Dr Kasturirangan Trust can be contacted at info@drkasturirangantrust.org or through its website, drkasturirangantrust.org.
About The Author
Comment List