Dr Nitya Anand, who discovered India’s first oral contraceptive ‘Saheli’, passed away on Saturday after a prolonged illness at SGPGIMS Lucknow. He was 99 at the time he died and the last rites will be held on Monday.
Anand, the former director of the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), was with CDRI since its inception in 1951 and served as its director from 1974 to 1984.
According to a TOI report, Anand was the man behind the discovery of ‘Centchroman’, popularly known as ‘Saheli.’ It is the world’s first and only non-steroidal, non-hormonal oral, once-a-week oral contraceptive. It was launched by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986.
Saheli was incorporated into the National Family Planning Programme of India in 2016. Even today, it is the only non-steroidal non-hormonal contraceptive in the world, the publication reported.
Anand’s career peaked in CDRI, first as a scientist, then as head of the medicinal chemistry division (1963-1974) and later as a director (1974-1984).
He also contributed and assisted in formulating different drug policies for the government of India for almost four decades and has been an adviser and consultant to many scientific bodies and institutions.
Anand published over 400 research papers and more than 130 patents while supervising 100 PhD students in his career. He is also a Padma Shri awardee.
He is survived by sons Neeraj Nityanand and Dr Naveen Nitya Anand, and daughter Dr Sonia Nityanand, who is the vice-chancellor of King George’s Medical University (KGMU).
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