WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): NASA has sacked Neela Rajendra, former head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), in compliance with a recent executive order issued by US President Donald Trump.
According to reports, the order mandates the termination of all DEI-related positions and programs across federal agencies.
Rajendra, who is of Indian origin, had served in a senior DEI leadership role for several years, spearheading initiatives like NASA’s “Space Workforce 2030” pledge, which aimed to increase the hiring of women and minorities.
In an effort to retain her, NASA reportedly changed her title to “Head of the Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success” shortly after the executive order was issued. Although her title changed, her responsibilities remained largely the same, including overseeing affinity groups such as the Black Excellence Strategic Team. A new department was created around the revised role.
Despite these efforts, Rajendra was ultimately relieved of her duties in early April following stricter enforcement of the order.
According to a leading portal report, quoting British newspaper Daily Mail, an internal email from NASA’s JPL Director Laurie Leshin confirmed her departure, stating: “Neela Rajendra is no longer working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We are incredibly grateful for the lasting impact she made on our organization. We wish her the very best.”
Rajendra had previously survived DEI-related layoffs in 2024, when nearly 900 such roles were cut due to funding constraints. Even when NASA officially shut down its DEI office in March 2025, she remained in her newly reassigned position—until her removal this month.
Her departure aligns NASA with other federal agencies that have eliminated DEI roles in response to the Trump administration‘s directive, which claims such programs have fostered division and misused taxpayer funds.
(Source: PTI)