All you needed to know about ISRO's new chief

Alur Seelin Kiran Kumar was on Monday appointed as the new Indian Space Research Organisation chief. Kumar succeeds K Radhakrishnan, who retired on December 31, 2014, as the eighth chief of the prestigious space dispensation.

Kiran Kumar will head the organisation for three years from the date he assumes charge, according to the order issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Department of Personnel & Training under the Ministry of Personnel & Public Grievances

Here are some interesting facts about ISRO’s new chief:

1) Kumar is the senior most scientist in the organisation

2) Kumar received his Physics (Honours) Degree from NationalCollege, BangaloreUniversity in 1971 and obtained his Masters Degree in Electronics from BangaloreUniversity in 1973 and thereafter M. Tech Degree in Physical Engineering from Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore) in 1975

2) A Padma Shri awardee, Kiran Kumar joined ISRO in 1975

3) He has contributed to Indian space programmes like the Chandrayaan, Mars Orbiter Mission and also to earlier programmes like the Bhaskara satellite

4) Kiran Kumar previously served as Director of Ahmedabad Space Applications Centre

Image: Alur Seelin Kiran Kumar is the senior most scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation.