IIT Bombay Chemistry Head Ruchi Anand Performs Dance at Campus Event
A cultural performance by Professor Ruchi Anand, Head of the Department of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), has drawn widespread attention after a video of the event was shared on Instagram.
The performance took place during an in-house symposium organised by the Chemistry Department on the IIT Bombay campus. Anand participated in the cultural segment of the gathering, stepping away from her standard academic duties of laboratory research, classroom teaching, and administrative work.
Dressed in traditional attire, Anand danced to "Nainowale Ne", a song sung by Neeti Mohan from the 2018 Bollywood film Padmaavat. The performance featured expressive hand movements and subtle gestures in keeping with the song's classical style. The recording quickly circulated across social media platforms, drawing praise for the senior scientist's artistic expression.
According to her official IIT Bombay faculty profile, Anand completed her M.Sc. at IIT Kanpur before earning her PhD from Cornell University in the United States. She later conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Anand joined the faculty of IIT Bombay as an Assistant Professor in 2008. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2014 and became a full Professor in 2018, before taking charge as the Head of the Department of Chemistry.
The department has long promoted extracurricular engagement among its faculty and students. In an official message on the Chemistry Department website, Anand noted that "all work and no play is not a good idea," adding that faculty members regularly take part in cultural programmes, sports activities, and department picnics alongside their core scientific and teaching commitments.
