A 3-week long nationwide lockdown is an unprecedented experience for most Indians. Recent scientific studies, including one where researchers carried out large-scale mathematical modelling of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, provide insight into why such extreme measures are imperative in current times.

From colloidal silver to essential oils, myths continue to abound on social media about home-grown remedies to treat or prevent COVID-19. We asked Gautam Menon, Professor of Physics and Biology at Ashoka University, Sonipat and Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai to lay some of these myths to rest. You can also check out answers to some commonly asked questions about COVID-19 here.

As India moves through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and puts containment procedures in place, the need for rapid and widespread testing is becoming more and more critical every day. In such a scenario, it is crucial for the public and private healthcare sectors to combine their forces and coordinate their actions.

In the wake of the present global pandemic, there has been a rapid proliferation of misinformation and rumours related to coronavirus infection and disease, particularly via social media. We requested Gautam Menon, Professor of Physics and Biology at Ashoka University, Sonipat and Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, to answer some of the most common questions being asked about the virus and clear up some misconceptions.

Four major policies have been implemented since independence namely, Scientific Policy Resolution (SPR 1958), Technology Policy Statement 1983 (SPR 1958), Science and Technology Policy 2003 (STP 2003), and Science Technology Innovation Policy 2013 (STIP 2013), this article will attempt to give a retrospective on how the STI ecosystem that we see today came into being.