NASA Fires Indian-Origin Diversity Chief After Changing Her Designation To Avoid Trump Crackdown

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) officer at NASA's jet propulsion laboratory, Neela Rajendra has been fired by the US space agency.

The firing of the Indian-origin DEI chief came after NASA changed her designation to the "Head of Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success" in an apparent attempt to protect her from President Donald Trump's executive order targeting DEI initiatives, reported Daily Mail.

"Neela Rajendra is no longer working at [the Jet Propulsion Laboratory]. We are incredibly grateful for the lasting impact she made to our organisation," the British newspaper quoted Lab Director, Laurie Leshin, in an email she wrote to the staff on Thursday.