| 1. He was born into a poor family. |
| 2. His father, Kailasavadivoonadar, was a paddy and mango farmer. |
| 3. Sivan helped his father in the farmlands and sold mangoes in the market. |
| 4. His siblings couldn't pursue higher education due to financial constraints. |
| 5. His first school was a small Tamil-medium school near his home. |
| 6. Sivan was known for being calm and studious. |
| 7. He excelled in Mathematics, scoring 100% in BSc without tuition. |
| 8. He was the first graduate in his family and village. |
| 9. To support Sivan's education, his father sold land and borrowed money. |
| 10. Sivan went barefoot to school and wore 'dhoti/lungi' before MIT. |
| 11. He earned the nickname 'Rocket Man' for his work on cryogenic engines. |
| 12. Sivan specializes in 6D trajectory simulation software. |
| 13. He joined ISRO in 1982 and led various rocket programs. |
| 14. Sivan took over as ISRO chairperson in January 2018. |
| 15. Under his leadership, Chandrayaan 2 was launched in July 2019. |
| 16. He is known for his religious beliefs and temple visits. |
| 17. During a speech in 2023, Sivan shared his journey from rejection to leadership. |
| 18. Sivan recounted being called "useless" at ISRO's Satellite Center. |
| 19. Despite doubts, he successfully led the GSLV project. |
| 20. Sivan's determination led to the success of the GSLV project. |
| 21. He is the chief architect of 6D trajectory simulation software, SITARA. |
| 22. He developed the day-of-launch wind-biasing strategy for ISRO’s launch vehicles. |
| 23. The Gaganyaan Programme was approved under his leadership. |
| 24. A new Human Spaceflight centre was established at Bangalore under his leadership. |
