Independent journalist and contributor, Down To Earth. Her concerns relate to the way power structures in society - business corporations, governments and lobbies - impact the lives of the powerless.
Seed revolution that lasted five days
Agriculture ministry's bravado in bringing seeds under compulsory licensing was short-lived
Aadhaar Bill and Hitler's law
By pretending the Aadhaar regulation is a money bill, the Modi government has used Nazi tactics to avoid parliamentary debate
Finally, firm no to software patents
The Patent Office has clearly said software patents can only be granted if linked to novel hardware
Between hype and hope on Zika
Bharat Biotech's patent claim on vaccines to fight Zika is riddled with holes and rivals abroad are surging ahead
For more skin in the game
With RBI and the Supreme Court calling for action against powerful debtors, state-owned banks have been put on notice
Sit up India, start worrying
Start Up India is a niche project that is unlikely to create the kind of job opportunities we need
Gifts of the non-patenters
Inventors like Tim Berners-Lee didn't apply for patents on their innovations, leaving enduring benefits for all of us
Plain victory against Big Tobacco
Philip Morris has lost a case of trademark violation in Australia and this could have a cascading effect
A bullet train for traders
Modi's pet project will add speed to a saturated sector but do nothing for millions of passengers elsewhere
The rosogolla row
Indians love getting the Geographical Indication tag for anything, but does it confer any special benefits?
Finally, a US revolt on drug price
American legislators are trying to enact new laws to force the pharma industry to explain pricing of specialty drugs
Strangling RTI ever so neatly
BJP's way of dealing with transparency process is effective: pack it with bureaucrats and let cases pile up
WTO gives India a clean chit
Apex trade regulator finds nothing amiss in India's intellectual property laws after exhaustive review
IPR course in school? It's silly
Promoting the study of intellectual property rights without focusing on innovation is so misplaced that it's laughable
Ignore US bullying on IPRs
Countries should not be stampeded into changing laws by the USTR's arbitrary Special 301 report
Mindless on the Maoists
Modi promises "development" to end the Maoist violence but slashes funds for essential jobs and food programmes
Doing very nicely without IPRs
We need to re-imagine the role of the state in creating knowledge without intellectual property rights
How to love farmers-the Modi way
Like its other policies, the BJP government's Land Acquisition Ordinance favours industry at the cost of farmers
Push for open source software
Delhi has been awfully late in adopting open source software, but the policy is finally there
Why do we need patents?
There is no empirical evidence that patents serve to increase innovation and productivity
Leaving the farmer in his agony
The BJP government is set on introducing policies which will deepen the agrarian crisis instead of reviving the rural economy
Pushing limits of drug access
Relying solely on gross national income to determine priorities in global health is not working any more
We create jobs-for the US
Modi government still has no clear strategy for creating employment for the hordes of the jobless young in India
The innovation WHO needs
The strategy to push public health, innovation and intellectual property is a tough challenge because of funding constraints
Maths of Gilead's hepatitis C drug
Why US firm's super expensive drug sofosbuvir costs so much and how it can be made at a tenth of current price
.jpg "We create jobs-for the US")
