Indian government under fire for promoting skin-whitening product...

A scheme – perhaps the first of its kind in India - that sees the government’s science department team up with a US multinational to promote innovation has run into controversy.

In December 2010 the Department of Science and Technology (DST) launched a monthly competition in association with Cincinnati-based Proctor & Gamble (P&G) to solicit innovative ideas from Indian researchers. Winners were promised a cash award of $1000 and possible commercialization of their ideas by P&G, which has a beauty business worth over US$10 billion in global sales.

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“Unfortunately, in our society, especially for girls, white skin is a feature which is supposed to lead to a better price in the marriage market, for example,” says Vineeta Bal a senior scientist at the National Institute of Immunology in New Delhi and member of a national panel for women scientists. “I think for a government department it is inappropriate to promote social prejudices in the society."  Full story...

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