With the passing of Ratan Tata, we have lost—in addition to an industrial tycoon—a philanthropist who went for the long haul and was a calming influence amidst the turmoil and uncertainties of the everyday. At the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), we saw this in action over decades, beginning in the 1990s.

In a solemn moment of reflection and gratitude, we Bangalore Life Science Cluster, extend our deepest condolences for the loss of Mr. Ratan Tata, a visionary leader whose steadfast support has been instrumental in shaping the growth and success of our institutes. Mr. Tata's commitment to scientific excellence has left an indelible mark on BLiSc and the broader scientific community.

Mental illnesses encompass a spectrum of well-known conditions, including schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, addictio

The Archives at NCBS, a space dedicated to the history of science in contemporary India, runs on the philosophy of enabling diverse stories. To further this endeavour, the Archives has received a grant from Arcadia for a project titled ‘Documenting the Contemporary History of Science in India.’

The tiger, one of the most iconic species, has been a subject of constant attraction since time immemorial! In the last two decades, the tiger population has been rising at 6% per annum in many protected areas throughout India¹ (Figure 1).

There are numerous moments during our PhD journey when we can’t help but be fascinated by science. We wonder how exciting it could have been if we had seen all these experiments or instruments when we were just starting to learn about science in college.

This is about our journey with our son Naithan John Mathew living with a rare disease called Lowe syndrome, or the Oculocerebrorenal syndrome; we call it as Peter Pan syndrome. It is a rare X-linked recessive disorder characterized by congenital cataracts, hypotonia, intellectual proteinuria.

When I was asked to write about the NCBS science journalism workshop, I dug through my emails and read the application I had sent out in 2013: A CV and a 500 word essay about why I wanted to be part of the workshop. “I intend to pursue a PhD next year,” I wrote. “So, the workshop would help me write better scientific papers.” That’s not quite how my life turned out.

If the last year has taught us anything, it is that global communication and cooperation in the life sciences are more intrinsic to the ways we connect and learn than we thought.