مضامین

Among the COVID-19 pandemic’s many consequences is its impact on students and early career researchers all over the country, who have had to face new and challenging adversities, including breaks in experimental work, having to adapt to online education modes, and uncertainty over their future careers. A panel discussion organised by the Department of Biochemistry, JSS Medical College, Mysuru, attempted to address some of these issues.

The increasing demand for virtual learning is making information and communication technologies (ICTs) an integral aspect of higher education. In this article, Aparna Dixit, Assistant Professor at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, shares her views on some of these technologies and how they can be used to enhance the learning experience of students.

The push for digital mode of education in recent times has surfaced the ​‘digital divide’ that exists in our society. In this article, educator Charu Dogra Rawat and her former student, Pranjal Gupta, highlight the various roadblocks en route to equitable digital education, and the efforts that might bridge the divide.

In this series, we ask scientists from different backgrounds, disciplines and career stages to reflect upon their life in lock-down and how it has influenced how they approach doing science. In this article, Mayuri Rege from Ramnarain Ruia College, Mumbai, writes about how the lockdown has transformed scientific networking, especially for those for whom international travel was always a barrier.

You may have heard of this puzzle about identifying a fake coin: You have eight of Rs. 1 coins. Real coins weigh 10g each, but you are told that one of the coins is fake and weighs less than the others. Using a simple weighing machine, on which you can place some coins and read out their total weight, what is the least number of weighings in which you can locate the fake coin?

IIn this series, we ask scientists from different backgrounds, disciplines and career stages to reflect upon their life in lockdown and how it has influenced how they approach doing science. In this article, Shobhana Narasimhan, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru writes about the process of adjusting to the new reality established by the pandemic.

Dr. Rakhal Gaitonde, a medical doctor and a PhD in public health, discusses the challenges of working with the public health care system during the pandemic, and calls for a proactive interaction of scientists in interfacing with policymakers, along with community engagement.

Researchers have identified SARS-CoV-2 related coronaviruses in frozen pangolin samples obtained from Southern China. Pangolins and bats are the only known mammals to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 related coronaviruses, and pangolins may be an intermediate host in the spread of the virus.

In this series, we ask scientists from different backgrounds, disciplines and career stages to reflect upon their life in lockdown and how it has influenced how they approach doing science. In this article, Zill e Anam from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, discusses how the pandemic provided her with an opportunity to carefully consider and explore the next steps in her career.

In this series, we ask scientists from different backgrounds, disciplines and career stages to reflect upon their life in lockdown and how it has influenced how they approach doing science. In this article, Vanshika Singh from the National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, discusses how the synergy of music, literature, and neuroscience has helped her make her way through the pandemic months.