Dr Nitya Anand

January 30, 2024

Dr Nitya Anand, who discovered India’s first oral contraceptive pill ‘Saheli’, passed away recently.
Anand was also the former director of the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) from 1974 to 1984.
- He was with CDRI since its inception in 1951.
He published over 400 research papers and over 130 patents.
He was also awarded with Padma Shri.
He was the brain behind the discovery of Centchroman’, popularly known as ‘Saheli.’
- It was the world’s first and only non-steroidal, non-hormonal, once-a-week oral contraceptive pill.
- It was launched by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986.
- In 2016, Saheli was incorporated in the National Family Programme of India.
- Even today, it is the only non-steroidal non-hormonal contraceptive in the world.