Neela Rajendra: NASA's Diversity Officer Terminated Amid US Political Tensions

NASA Jet Propulsion Lab terminated its diversity, equality, and inclusion officer following Donald Trump's executive order to "terminate" all persons employed under such initiatives and end all such programs across the United States. Neela Rajendra, an Indian-origin employee, was reportedly fired weeks after she was appointed as 'Head of Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success,' according to the British newspaper Daily Mail.

In a company-wide e-mail, NASA JPL's Director Laurie Leshin wrote, "Neela Rajendra is no longer working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We are incredibly grateful for the lasting impact she made on our organisation. We wish her the very best."

Who Is Neela Rajendra?

Neela Rajendra had been working at NASA JPL for several years. She was reportedly in charge of projects, including the 'Space Workforce 2030' pledge, whose primary objective was to hire women and minorities in the organisation. Rajendra was among the few employees who were not laid off last year when NASA JPL faced a severe fund crunch. After Trump's executive orders, her position from the DEI department was changed to avoid termination.

On March 10, NASA had informed its employees that Rajendra would now head the 'Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success.' The lab staff was told that in her new role, she would be responsible for "affinity groups" at the laboratory, which includes the 'Black Excellence Strategic Team.' She wrote on LinkedIn that her role as the head of the newly formed office at NASA was mainly to "unlock our potential to dare mighty things together."

However, after Trump's severe crackdown in early April, she was entirely sacked from NASA. The US space agency now joins several other federal government agencies that have completely shut down their diversity programs in compliance with the President's orders. Trump's executive order states that such programs have divided Americans based on race, colour, and gender; have wasted taxpayer dollars, and "resulted in shameful discrimination".