Who is Anand Ranganathan? Wiki, Wife, Family, Education, Age, Religion, Net Worth, and More
Anand Ranganathan is a multifaceted personality who has made his mark in various fields, such as science, journalism, and literature. He is best known for his research on tuberculosis and malaria, his opinion pieces and columns in Swarajya and Newslaundry, and his novels, such as The Rat Eater and Soufflé.
He is also a frequent guest on television debates, where he expresses his views on politics, media, and science. He is a staunch supporter of right-wing ideology and Hindutva and often criticizes the left-wing and secular forces in India. He has a huge fan following on social media, where he posts witty and sarcastic tweets on current affairs and other topics.
Early Life and Education
Anand was born in 1972 in Tamil Nadu, India. His parents were both eminent scientists who had done significant work in their respective fields of chemistry. His mother, Darshan Ranganathan, was an organic chemist, an author, and the head of the Chemistry Department at Miranda College, Delhi. His father, Subramania Ranganathan, was a bioorganic chemist, a professor, and the head of the Department of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.
Anand Ranganathan completed his BSc (Hons) degree in Chemistry from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, in 1992. He then went to the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom on the Cambridge Nehru Centenary Fellowship of 1992 (scholarship), where he obtained his BA (Tripos) in Natural Sciences, his MA, and his PhD in Biochemistry from Pembroke College. He also did a post-doctoral stint in the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, from 1998 to 1999.
Anand Ranganathan Wiki/Bio
| Name | Anand Ranganathan |
| Born | 1972 (age 52 years) |
| Birthplace | Delhi, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | BSc (Hons) in Chemistry from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi (1992) BA (Tripos) in Natural Sciences from Pembroke College, University of Cambridge (1994) PhD in Biochemistry from Pembroke College, University of Cambridge (1998) Honorary MA from Pembroke College, University of Cambridge (1998) |
| Parents | Darshan Ranganathan (mother), Subramania Ranganathan (father) |
| Wife | Sheetal Ranganathan |
| Children | Jawahar Ranganathan (son) |
| Religion | Atheist |
| Known for | Research on tuberculosis and malaria, opinion pieces and columns in Swarajya and Newslaundry, Twitter personality |
| Honors | Young Scientist, World Economic Forum, for the New Champions Summit, 2012 |
| Net Worth | Not disclosed |
| Social Media Links | Instagram: anand.ranganathan72 Website: anandranganathan.com Facebook: anandranganathan72 Twitter: ARanganathan72 |
| Homepage | newsunzip.com |
Career as a Scientist
After returning to India, Anand Ranganathan joined the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) in Delhi, where he worked as a Staff Research Scientist in the Recombinant Gene Products Group for 16 years (1999-2015). His laboratory worked on the area of Directed Evolution and Pathogenesis, with special emphasis on Tuberculosis and Malaria. He published his scientific findings in peer-reviewed journals, such as The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Chemistry & Biology, The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and Nature Communications.
In 2015, he joined the Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi, as an Associate Professor, and became a full Professor in 2019. He continues to work on the same research topics, and also mentors students and young scientists. He has received several awards and honors for his scientific contributions, such as the Young Scientist Award from the World Economic Forum for the New Champions Summit in 2012.
Physical Appearance
| Weight | In Kilograms: 65 kg In Pounds: 143 lbs |
| Height | In Feet Inches: 5′ 8″ In Meters: 1.72 m In Centimetres: 172 cm |
| Hair Color | Black. |
| Eye Color | Brown. |
| Shoe Size | 6 US. |
As a Journalist and Writer
Anand Ranganathan is also a prolific writer and journalist, who writes and appears frequently on television debates, on politics, media, and science. His columns have appeared in Swarajya, DNA, Firstpost, and Newslaundry. He is also the Consulting Editor of Swarajya, a magazine that promotes the right-wing and Hindutva ideology.
Ranganathan is known for his outspoken and controversial views on various issues, such as the abrogation of Article 370, the Citizenship Amendment Act, the farmers’ protests, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Kashmiri Pandits’ exodus. He often criticizes the left-wing and secular parties, such as the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, and the Trinamool Congress, for their alleged appeasement of minorities and corruption. He also exposes the bias and hypocrisy of the mainstream media, especially the English-language channels, such as NDTV, The Wire, and The Quint. He supports the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for their development and nationalistic agenda.
Hello everyone. Announcing the publication by@BluOneInk of my new book Hindus in Hindu Rashtra: Eighth-class citizens and victims of State-sanctioned apartheid.
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) June 27, 2023
All royalties from this book will go to the Hindu Refugee cause. Thanks so much. Order Link: https://t.co/Koif1kfFJq pic.twitter.com/0uZcHOVfiR
Anand is also an avid reader and a novelist, who has written four books, all fiction. His first book, The Land of the Wilted Rose, was published in 2012 by Rupa Publications. It is a historical thriller set in the backdrop of the Indian freedom struggle. His second book, For Love and Honour, was published in 2015 by Bloomsbury India. It is a romance novel set in the Indian Army.
His third book, The Rat Eater, was co-authored with Chitra Subramaniam, and published in 2019 by Bloomsbury India. It is a crime thriller set in the slums of Mumbai. His fourth book, Soufflé, was published in 2023 by Penguin India. It is a comedy novel set in the culinary world of France. His fifth book, on India’s forgotten scientists, is expected to be published in 2023 by Penguin India. It is co-authored with his wife, Sheetal Ranganathan.
Spouse & Kids
Ranganathan is married to Sheetal Ranganathan, who is also a columnist on global health and science outreach. She is a graduate from AIIMS and XIM, and is the Vice President and Global Head of Life Sciences Operations in a multinational professional services firm. The couple has a son named Jawahar Ranganathan, who is named after the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.
Personal Life Details
Anand is an atheist, who claims to be a “Darwinian atheist”. He does not believe in any god or religion and follows the principles of science and rationality. However, he also respects the cultural and historical aspects of Hinduism and visits temples occasionally.
He is a vocal supporter of Hindutva, which he defines as the “cultural nationalism” of India. He opposes the appeasement and discrimination of any community based on religion, caste, or creed. He advocates for the uniform civil code, the abolition of Article 370, and the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Net Worth
Anand Ranganathan’s net worth is not publicly known, but it is estimated to be in the range of millions of dollars, based on his income from his scientific and journalistic careers, as well as his book royalties. He lives a comfortable and luxurious life and owns a house in Delhi.
Social Media Presence
Anand is very active on social media, especially on Twitter, where he has more than 1.5 million followers. He posts witty and sarcastic tweets on various topics, such as current affairs, politics, media, science, literature, and sports. He also engages with his fans and critics, and often gets into heated arguments with them. He has a verified account, with the handle @ARanganathan72.
He also has a Facebook page, with more than 100,000 likes, where he shares his articles and videos. He also has a YouTube channel, with more than 10,000 subscribers, where he uploads his television appearances and interviews. He also has an Instagram account, with more than 20,000 followers, where he posts pictures of his family, friends, books, and travels.
Delhi High Court Drops Contempt Charges Against Author and Others for Criticizing a Judge
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, 24 January 2024, closed a criminal contempt case that it had initiated in 2018 against several individuals, including author Ranganathan, for their alleged remarks against Justice S. Muralidhar, who was then a sitting judge of the court.
The court said that since the “initiators” of the contemptuous content had already been discharged after they tendered apologies to the court, the pending proceedings against other parties, including Mr. Ranganathan, were “a sheer wastage” of the court’s time.
The case was triggered by certain social media posts that accused Justice Muralidhar of “bias” after a bench headed by him quashed the house arrest and transit remand of activist Gautam Navlakha in the Bhima Koregaon violence case in October 2018.
The court had received a letter from senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, who brought the matter to its notice and sought action against the alleged contemnors, who included Swaminathan Gurumurthy, the publisher of the offending article, and filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri.
The court had also directed two social media platforms to block the weblinks of the article in question.
Apologies and Discharges
In October 2019, the court closed the proceedings against Mr. Gurumurthy, who is also the editor of the Tamil political weekly Thuglak, after he expressed regret and withdrew his tweets.
The author of the offending article, Desh Kapoor, had also tendered an apology to the court in August 2019, leading to his discharge from the case.
In April 2020, Mr. Agnihotri, too, was discharged from the case after he tendered an unconditional apology and deleted his tweets.
On Wednesday, the court said: “since the initiators of the contemptuous allegations have been discharged in this proceeding, it is a sheer wastage of time to take action against others”.
Anand Ranganathan is a versatile and talented person, who has excelled in multiple domains, such as science, journalism, and literature. He is a respected and renowned scientist, who has done pioneering research on tuberculosis and malaria. He is also a popular and controversial journalist, who writes and speaks on politics, media, and science. He is also a successful and acclaimed novelist, who has written four books, all fiction. He is also a social media sensation, who has a huge fan following on Twitter and other platforms. He is a staunch supporter of right-wing ideology and Hindutva, and often criticizes the left-wing and secular forces in India.
He is an atheist, who follows the principles of science and rationality, but also respects the cultural and historical aspects of Hinduism. He is married to Sheetal Ranganathan, who is also a columnist and a corporate leader. They have a son named Jawahar Ranganathan, who is named after the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Anand Ranganathan is a multifaceted personality, who has made his mark in various fields, and has a lot to offer to the society and the nation.
