He wrote: "I dreamed as a kid to work at ISRO… but ₹0? Not viable." The twist? DRDO, often seen as less glamorous, pays interns ₹5,000. While ISRO’s hiring crunch hits hard; biggest in 25 years; unpaid internships might be pushing talent away. Is national pride enough to compensate for no paycheck? Especially when you’re juggling rent, loans, and dreams? Many interns aren’t in it for fame; they need survival. If India wants to keep its brightest minds in science, maybe it’s time to pay them. Even a little. Because passion doesn’t pay bills; but a stipend might just keep the rocket fuel burning.