With M.S. Swaminathan’s passing, we have lost a great scientist. There are many scientists whose life spans roles as researchers, institution-builders, technocrats, policy-makers, and humanists. Swaminathan is unique in doing all of these roles superbly and with élan. Fundamental to all of Swaminathan’s efforts—most of them very successful—was to address non-trivial problems and not hesitate to grapple with complexity and apparent insurmountability. Each facet of his professional life is an example of this trait.

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee ( GEAC) has taken a major step by recommending "The environmental release of genetically engineered mustard parental lines....so that these events can be used for developing new parental lines and hybrids under supervision of ICAR. " This a culmination of efforts by Dr. Deepak Pental and his team, starting from 1983. Here, below, is a brief history of this journey, culled from the PPT he sent a while ago.

“The Annotated Hodgkin & Huxley, A Reader’s Guide” is a must for every aspiring, mature, distinguished, and extinguished neurobiologist. (It may, unfortunately, resurrect the last two categories.) The best way to describe this wonderful book is to quote from the introduction. “After nearly seventy years, [the]..1952 papers on the mechanisms underlying the action potential seem more and more like the Shakespeare plays of neurophysiology, works of astounding beauty that become less accessible to each successive generation of scientists.”

Thread. Many thanks for the overwhelming messages. It is a great responsibility, working together we can overcome any barrier. We have our task cut out. Connect science to society and society to science.S&T can be the fulcrum for change: Agri, health, environment, development. Speedy and sustainable development is possible when we scientists are organically connected with society and society sees value in scientific approaches. For this, scientists must come from every section of society.

Speaking @ “National Conf women in Tech” Opp 2 highlight Ind women in math & CS. Every woman in Math & CS role model. Thread lists few (Indians/Indian-origin). Do add India&elsewhere.Tell daughters they 2 can lead in Math & CS. #InternationalWomensDay #IndianWomenInMath : Professor Nalini Anantharaman, born in Paris originally from India has won major prizes. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nalini_An… #InternationalWomensDay #IndianWomenInMath