What is Science Policy? How are Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policies made in India? Is there an institutional mechanism for STI policymaking? Who are the players involved in the STI policy process? How does evidence flow into this process? This article, as the first in the Science Policy 101 series, attempts to answer, think-through, and discuss these questions.

In addition to limited awareness about mental health in the general populace, a scarcity of large-scale clinical investigations has also been holding back mental health research in India. Recently, three Bengaluru-based research institutions have joined hands for a study that will last two decades and create an extensive resource base of scientific information related to mental illnesses in an Indian population.

India's buffalo meat industry is amongst the largest in the world, exporting over 1.2 million tonnes of meat in 2018-19 alone. However, the industry might be extracting a heavy toll on the environment, with reports indicating rapid degradation of pasture lands and release of greenhouse gases as consequences of present livestock rearing practices.

Café Oikos, a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit initiative, is the brainchild of engineer-turned-ecologists Anisha Jayadevan and Shishir Rao. It is a free and open public event regularly held at Bengaluru bookstores or cafés wherein people from all walks of life can come to learn about ecology and conservation research directly from active scientists. In this article, Anisha writes about how Café Oikos came to be, and what it aims to achieve.

The Indian National Science Academy recently published a book with detailed analysis and recommendations on ethical practices for doing science in India. With contributions from eighteen different authors, the book delves into multiple areas of concern and enumerates ethical guidelines for researchers and policymakers at several different levels. The book is freely available to download on INSA's website.