Anand Ranganathan, a scientist and writer, has written three novels: “The Land of the Wilted Rose” (published by Rupa in 2012), “For Love and Honour” (published by Bloomsbury in 2015), and “The Rat Eater” (published by Bloomsbury in 2019; co-authored). Additionally, he is currently collaborating on a forthcoming book with others, focusing on India’s forgotten scientists (to be published by Penguin in 2023; co-authored).
Bio/Wiki
Age-52years
Born – 1972
Residence-New Delhi
Education – PhD
Nationality- Indian
Profession-Scientist, Author
Known for-Research on tuberculosis, opinion pieces and columns in Swarajya, Newslaundry, Twitter personality.
Family
Anand Ranganathan’s family has a strong scientific background. His father, Subramania Ranganathan (1936 – 2016), was a prominent Indian bio-organic chemist and held the position of a professor and head of the department of chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. An equally accomplished figure, his mother, Darshan Ranganathan (4 June 1941 – 4 June 2001), was an Indian organic chemist renowned for her groundbreaking work in bio-organic chemistry, particularly in the field of protein folding.
Wife
His wife Sheetal Ranganathan, an AIIMS and XIM graduate, excels as a columnist, specializing in global health and science outreach subjects.
Education
He completed his BSc (Hons) degree in Chemistry at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, in 1992. Subsequently, he received a Nehru Centenary Scholarship, which allowed him to continue his studies at the University of Cambridge. There, he earned his BA (Tripos) in Natural Sciences, followed by obtaining his MA and PhD degrees.
Net Worth
As of 2024, Anand Ranganathan’s net worth is estimated to be around $3 million.
Career
Ranganathan began his post-doctoral journey at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, dedicating his efforts from 1998 to 1999. Afterward, he returned to India and worked as a research scientist at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Delhi for an impressive 16 years.
In 2015, he became an Associate Professor at the Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. His research focuses on Directed Evolution and Pathogenesis, particularly in Tuberculosis and Malaria.
His notable contributions to the development of a new tuberculosis vaccine gained significant media attention, with his expertise and achievements widely reported by various media outlets.
Besides his scientific work, Ranganathan served as a consulting editor for Newslaundry and actively participated in their weekly podcasts. He also hosted several shows and interviews on their platform. However, a controversy arose when some individuals associated with Newslaundry publicly criticized him on Twitter for his data-driven analysis and opposing viewpoints. Matters escalated when Newslaundry mocked his Brahmin background in a video, causing division and controversy.
Ranganathan is an atheist and a staunch advocate of free speech. He has written numerous articles praising B. R. Ambedkar, showing his admiration for the iconic figure.
Additionally, some of Ranganathan’s tweets criticizing the judiciary were withheld by Twitter, adding complexity to his online presence.
Achievement/Honors
He achieved recognition as a Young Scientist at the World Economic Forum for the New Champions Summit in 2012.
Here are Anand Ranganathan’s achievements presented pointwise:
- Young Scientist, World Economic Forum, for the New Champions Summit, 2012
- Young Scientist Medal of the Indian National Science Academy, 2007
- Young Scientist Medal of the UDCT, India, 2006
- Associate Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences, 2003-06
- Pembroke College Cambridge Scholarship, 1995
- Cambridge Nehru Centenary Fellowship, 1992
Bibliography
He has written three fiction books.
- The Land of the Wilted Rose
- For Love and Honour
- The Rat Eater (Juggernaut, 2017; co-authored with Chitra Subramaniam)
