Dr Nitya Anand, developer of India's first oral contraceptive pill ‘Saheli’, passes away at 99
The Times of India reported. He was the driving force behind Centchroman's discovery, also referred to as "Saheli." It was the first and only once-weekly, non-steroidal, non-hormonal oral contraceptive pill in history. In 1986, Rajiv Gandhi, who was prime minister at the time, introduced it.
Saheli was incorporated into the National Family Programme of India in 2016. It is still the only non-hormonal, non-steroidal contraceptive available worldwide. “His stay in CDRI, first as a scientist, then as head of the medical chemistry division (1963-1974), and later as a director (1974-1984) has been of great significance in shaping and nurturing budding scientists of the institute," said CDRI spokesperson and senior scientist Sanjeev Yadav as quoted by TOI. Anand has also worked with the Government of India for nearly forty years, helping to design various drug policies.
In addition, he serves as a consultant and advisor to numerous scientific organizations. Anand is a Padma Shri recipient who is survived by his daughter Dr. Sonia Nityanand, who serves as vice-chancellor of King George's Medical University (KGMU), and sons Neeraj Nityanand and Dr.
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