Consulting Editor, Down To Earth. She has been associated with the magazine since 2000 and has written extensively on health, science and food issues. She is a biologist by training and holds a PhD in Botany
India readies for COVID-19 vaccination but vexed questions on the solution remain
The risks the country needs to prepare for, precautions it needs to take, the logistics required and, above all, the implications of it all for …
Lateral Thoughts: We have neglected vaccines for neglected diseases
Vaccines against COVID-19 prove without doubt that the ones needed to prevent neglected disease can be developed quickly as well
Lateral Thoughts: A paradigm change in clinical trials
The rich and famous are clamouring to get the ‘experimental’ COVID-19 vaccine
The other side of climate friendly foods
Efforts to change diets and reduce global warming has pitfalls
Lateral Thoughts: Air pollution will reduce only through good governance
Air pollution has been plaguing Delhi for 4 decades; the reasons are well known and there is adequate data to pin responsibilities
First food for fasting days
From makhanas to kuttu to singhara, here are ways to add taste and spice to food while fasting
World Food Day: Looking for a new avatar in COVID-19 times
What we now need is smart, systemic action to get the food to those who need it and improve it for those who have it, says FAO Director-…
Lateral Thoughts: Who moved my samosa?
Indians need to eat better food, rich in fruits and vegetables and high in proteins
COVID-19: The virus in our genes
Novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has the potential to change our genetic makeup
COVID-19: Can cotton wear allow better vitamin D synthesis
Vitamin D deficiency makes people more susceptible to COVID-19; countries with high levels of vitamin D deficiency reported higher mortality …
National Digital Health Mission: Weak links in a weak chain
Instead of making a show of improving private healthcare, the Union government would be better off if it focuses on improving its public health …
Should we worry about the long-term impact of the novel coronavirus?
Pathogens differ in their ability to affect multiple organs but they all invariably cause long-term effects
International Day for Biological Diversity 2020: Why viruses are necessary
Possible solution to antimicrobial resistance, organ protection are some beneficial roles viruses play
Cut loose: End of COVID-19 containment
Life goes back to normal in my area of residence
Cut off amid CVID-19 lockdown: How a positive case next door changes the way I live
One of the latest novel coronavirus positive case in Delhi is at Kalkaji — a house away from mine
Keep only the best on the plate
To ensure India doesn't see urban food deserts like the USA, methods to increase access to locally grown food must be included in urban planning
World is at risk if anti-abortion laws are made stronger in the US
The Alabama Human Life Protection Act was supported by more than 20 male senators in a state, where women make up 51.5 per cent of the population
Indian Science Congress: The circus comes to an end
This annual researchers’ meet, the 106th edition of which ends today, has a history of controversies that have taken its stature down
Zika needs to be controlled but how?
With 131 cases of Zika infections being reported in Rajasthan, the country is up in arms against the disease but has no reliable way of dealing …
Affordable medicine for tuberculosis to get a push at UN General Assembly
In a rare win, developing countries managed to thwart USA's plan to derail a tuberculosis declaration that will be signed at the UN General …
Consumers cannot make informed decision without GM labelling
21 of the 65 processed foods tested had genetically modified ingredients; most of these products do not mention anything about GM on their labels.
Vacuum in governance on genetically modified foods in India
FSSAI has so far dragged its feet on regulating GM foods. Its recent attempt to regulate the industry may do more harm than good as the draft …
Taste the genetically modified buffet
CSE tested 64 processed food products bought from retail stores in Delhi-NCR, Punjab and Gujarat and one sample of crude cottonseed oil. These …
Glyphosate use increased 1500% since genetically modified crops were introduced
Cultivation of genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops relies heavily on glyphosate, a possible carcinogen
The cervical cancer puzzle
Data on cervical cancer suggests we do not need HPV vaccine, especially when there is doubt about its efficacy