Meera Nanda (born 1954) is an Indian writer and historian of science,[1] who has authored several works critiquing the influence of Hindutva, postcolonialism and postmodernism on science, and the flourishing of pseudoscience and vedic science. She currently is a visiting faculty of humanities and social sciences at IISER Pune.
Life and career
Nanda was educated in science and philosophy with a PhD in biotechnology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and a PhD in science studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.[2][3]
She was a John Templeton Foundation Fellow in Religion and Science (2005–2007).[1][4] In January 2009, she was a Fellow at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute for Advanced Study, in the Jawaharlal Nehru University for research in Science, Post-Modernism and Culture.[5] She was also a visiting faculty of history and philosophy of science at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali from 2010 to 15 May 2017. She was a visiting faculty member of the department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IISER Pune[6] in 2019 and 2020.
Religion and Hindu nationalism
Nanda has authored several works on religion, most notably Prophets Facing Backward: Postmodern Critiques of Science and Hindu Nationalism in India (2004),[7] and her 2009 book The God Market which examined how India is experiencing a rising tide of popular Hinduism, including government financing of Hinduism despite the nation's secular characteristic. The book was reviewed by William Dalrymple in Outlook Magazine.[8][9]
Works
- Postmodernism and Religious Fundamentalism: A Scientific Rebuttal To Hindu Science. New Delhi: Navayana. 2000. Template:ISBN
- Breaking the Spell of Dharma and Other Essays. New Delhi: Three Essays Collective, 2002. Template:ISBN.
- Prophets Facing Backward: Postmodern Critiques of Science and the Hindu Nationalism in India. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2004. Template:ISBN. Excerpts
- Wrongs of the Religious Right: Reflections on secularism, science and Hindutva. New Delhi: Three Essays Collective, 2005. Template:ISBN
- The God Market. Random House, 2010. Template:ISBN.
- Ayurveda Today : A Critical Look, with C. Viswanathan. Penguin, 2010. Template:ISBN.
- Science in Saffron: Skeptical Essays on History of Science. New Delhi: Three Essays Collective, 2016. Template:ISBN.[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Meera Nanda Profile Template:Webarchive Three Essays.
- ↑ Reception of Darwinism in India (A talk by Professor Meera Nanda) Template:Webarchive, Indian Institute of Science
- ↑ Mukto-Mona Writers' Corner - Meera Nanda. mukto-mona.com.
- ↑ In defence of secularism. The Hindu(21 November 2006).
- ↑ List of scholars invited to JNIAS Template:Webarchive JNIAS Jawaharlal Nehru University website.
- ↑ IISER Pune. www.iiserpune.ac.in. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
- ↑ Book Review: Paradigm shift. The Hindu(3 May 2005).
- ↑ Review: The Glitter in The Godliness. Outlook(18 January 2010).
- ↑ Books: A market for holy men: How globalization has had an impact on Hinduism and our public sphere(21 August 2009).
- ↑ Hindutva's science envy(16 September 2016).
Further reading
- Society/Essays: Sangh Parivar, The Pizza-Maker, (2003) Outlook
- ESSAY: Postmodernism, Hindu nationalism and `Vedic science' (2003) Part 1 and Part 2, Frontline
- PERSPECTIVE: Is India a science superpower? (2005) Frontline
- DEBATE: Vedic creationism in America. (2006) Frontline
- Book Review: "The God Market: How Globalization is making India more Hindu" (2010)
- Hindutva's science envy, Frontline September 16, 2016
External links
- Science in Saffron, publisher's page.
- Science in Saffron at researchgate.net.