Daijiworld Media Network- Washington

Washington, Apr 15: In a significant development, Indian-origin executive Neela Rajendra, who led the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at NASA, has been officially relieved of her duties following a sweeping executive order issued by US president Donald Trump aimed at dismantling DEI efforts across federal agencies.

Rajendra's departure comes after weeks of internal efforts by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to retain her services. The agency had recently reassigned her to a newly created role as the head of the “Office of team excellence and employee success,” in what was widely viewed as a strategic move to circumvent the impact of the federal directive. Despite the new designation, her responsibilities—overseeing employee support programmes and managing affinity groups such as the “Black Excellence Strategic Team”—remained largely unchanged.

However, with the Trump administration intensifying its crackdown on DEI programs earlier this month, NASA was ultimately compelled to terminate her employment.

An internal communication from JPL, reportedly shared by its Director Laurie Leshin, confirmed Rajendra's exit. The message stated, “Neela Rajendra is no longer working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We are incredibly grateful for the lasting impact she made to our organisation. We wish her the very best.”

Rajendra, who played a pivotal role in NASA’s "Space Workforce 2030" pledge—an initiative aimed at boosting participation of women and underrepresented communities in the agency—was among several DEI professionals affected by the federal rollback.

Her removal is part of a broader purge targeting diversity-related roles across U.S. government departments. The executive order, issued by President Trump, claims that DEI programs promote division and inefficient use of public funds, while contributing to biased practices.

With Rajendra’s exit, NASA joins a growing list of agencies that have shut down their diversity offices, marking a dramatic shift in federal workforce policies.