Dr K Kasturirangan is a famous scientist of modern India. He is a member of several important scientific academics within India as well as abroad. He was former Director of ISRO. He received his Doctoral Degree in Experimental High Energy Astronomy from Physical research laboratory, Ahmedabad. He is a former member of the Rajya Sabha (2003–09) and a former member of the now defunct Planning Commission of India. He was also the director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. He is a recipient of the three major civilian awards from the Government of India: the Padma Shri (1982), Padma Bhushan (1992) and Padma Vibhushan (2000). He was also the Project Director for India’s first two experimental earth observation satellites, Bhaskara-I and II. Defining India’s most ambitious space based High Energy Astronomy observatory and initiating a related activities was also an important milestone under his leadership. He has made extensive and significant contributions to studies of Cosmic x-ray and gamma ray sources and effect of cosmic x-rays in the lower atmosphere.
Dr Kasturirangan is head of a committee tasked with creating the National Education Policy 2020 for India. Later in September 2021, he was appointed as the head of a 12-member steering committee which would be responsible for developing a new National Curriculum Framework (NCF). Dr Kasturirangan is the recipient of Honorary Doctorate from 27 universities.