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By:

Akhilesh Sinha

25 June 2025 at 2:53:54 pm

India’s Rocket Woman

Chandrayaan-3 Mission Director Dr Ritu Karidhal Srivastava helped script a historic chapter in India’s space story. On August 23, 2023, as the clock struck 6:04 PM Indian time, waves of joy swept across India and the world when Chandrayaan-3's robotic lander Vikram touched down on the Moon's south pole. This triumph made India the first nation to land a spacecraft there and the fourth overall to reach the lunar surface. Behind this moment stood the dedication of scientists like Dr Ritu...

India’s Rocket Woman

Chandrayaan-3 Mission Director Dr Ritu Karidhal Srivastava helped script a historic chapter in India’s space story. On August 23, 2023, as the clock struck 6:04 PM Indian time, waves of joy swept across India and the world when Chandrayaan-3's robotic lander Vikram touched down on the Moon's south pole. This triumph made India the first nation to land a spacecraft there and the fourth overall to reach the lunar surface. Behind this moment stood the dedication of scientists like Dr Ritu Karidhal Srivastava, Chandrayaan-3’s mission director, affectionately known as India’s “Rocket Woman.” For millions watching, it was a moment of national pride; for the scientists behind the mission, the culmination of years of painstaking work and belief in India’s space ambitions. Dr Srivastava often placed professional commitments ahead of personal comforts, pouring her energy into India’s stellar legacy. Whether spearheading Chandrayaan-3, leading key aspects of Chandrayaan-2, or contributing to the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), she devoted herself to advancing India’s space programme. “From Mangalyaan to Chandrayaan, women have matched men stride for stride,” she has said, reflecting the growing presence of women scientists in India’s space missions. Over the years, women have moved from supporting roles to positions of leadership within ISRO, bringing expertise and determination to some of the nation’s most ambitious projects. Journey to the Stars Born in 1975 into a middle-class family in Lucknow, young Ritu was fascinated by the moon, stars and vast skies above. Her curiosity deepened during her school years, when she spent hours reading about space and imagining the mysteries beyond Earth. After earning her degree from Navayug Kanya Mahavidyalaya, she completed her MSc in physics in Lucknow before moving to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru to specialise in aerospace engineering. This path led her to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which she joined in 1997. At ISRO, she steadily rose through the ranks, earning recognition for meticulous planning and technical expertise. She served as Deputy Operations Director for the Mars Orbiter Mission, popularly known as Mangalyaan — India’s first mission to Mars, which succeeded on its first attempt and placed the country firmly on the global space map. Personal Sacrifices Her work’s success roared loudly. The ISRO Young Scientist Award from President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in 2007 and the Woman Aerospace Achievement Award from the Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries recognised her contributions to the nation’s space programme. Yet for years she worked largely away from the public spotlight, focused on the demands of complex missions. In a candid moment, Dr Srivastava spoke about balancing professional duty and family life. There were times when mission preparation meant missing important family moments. Once, when her daughter was running a fever, she could not leave work; her husband stepped in while she checked repeatedly by phone. School events and parent-teacher meetings often passed without her presence. Yet with strong support from her husband and family, she remained committed to the demanding world of space exploration. That collective resolve — from Dr Srivastava and her team — ultimately propelled India to new cosmic heights. Vikram’s flawless landing at the Moon’s south pole marked a technological triumph and firmly placed India among the world’s leading spacefaring nations.

Strategies for Prevention of Violence in Healthcare

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

Strategies for Prevention of Violence in Healthcare

Reports of physical and verbal violence at healthcare institutes are regularly reported across India. In some instances, mobs have resorted to arson, destroying costly equipment. An Indian Medical Association (IMA) study found that over 75% of doctors have faced workplace violence. The ghastly rape and murder of a resident doctor at Kolkatta’s R.G. Kar hospital stands out as one of the most gruesome of these.

Despite the Union Health Minister’s promise of a central act to prevent such violence, no legislation has been enacted.

Violence against doctors is not exclusive to India. In the US, Dr. Michael Davidson, director of endovascular cardiac surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, was killed by Stephen Pasceri, who blamed Dr. Davidson for his mother’s death. Similarly, violence against nurses in the US is commonplace. According to a study, nearly a million attacks, some extremely violent, against healthcare institutes are reported in China annually.

To prevent such violence, almost 29 states in India, including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, and Delhi, have enacted legal provisions in the last few years. As per this Act, violence means activities causing any harm, injury, or endangering the life or intimidation, obstruction, or hindrance to any healthcare service person in the discharge of duty in the healthcare service institution or damage or loss to property in the healthcare service institution. The healthcare service persons include registered medical practitioners working in healthcare institutions (including those having provisional registration), registered nurses, medical students, nursing students, and para-medical workers employed and working in medical service institutions. The Act provides stringent punishment, including imprisonment and a fine, as well as double the amount of damage as compensation to the institute. These stringent legal provisions do not permit bail for the accused. The Act also allows patients to lodge criminal complaints against doctors if they feel aggrieved. The Acts have not effectively deterred attackers, with few convictions reported.

Dr. Neeraj Nagpal, Medico-Legal Action Group, argues that a central act alone will not suffice. He suggests changes in the Indian Penal Code. In his opinion, the arrest of doctors under Section 304A of The IPC is a part of the problem of violence against doctors because invariably cross-FIRs are registered by the patient party and the doctor, which results in an inevitable compromise.

In public general hospitals, violence is usually targeted against young resident doctors. Analysis shows that incidents often happen during emergencies when senior doctors are absent and medical equipment is unavailable or not working. In a few incidents, resident doctors were reported to be under the influence of alcohol and allegedly misbehaved with their relatives.

Given these repeated violent incidents, I was tasked with devising a scheme for medical colleges-cum-hospitals run by the State Government of Maharashtra and Mumbai Corporation. With the medical superintendents, we noticed that trouble ignites in the emergency departments, or if a patient dies. Our resolution involved deploying armed contingents from the Maharashtra Security Force (MSF), equipping them with training and communication tools, and installing CCTV cameras, and restricting access. These measures have improved safety and a better focus on treatment for resident doctors.

These measures are just the beginning of a comprehensive approach. In part 2, we will explore additional solutions, including advanced security protocols, the role of training, and innovative practices to protect healthcare professionals and institutions further.


(The writer is a former DGP of Maharashtra. Views personal)

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