Pushpa Mittra Bhargava was born in Ajaymeru in Rajasthan on 22nd February 1928, to Ram Chandra Bhargava, a medical doctor, and Gayatri Bhargava. He was homeschooled until about the age ten, by his grandfather, after which he was directly admitted to class 9 in Varanasi. Having completing his Master’s in organic chemistry from Queens College, one of the best institutions in Uttar Pradesh back then, Bhargava joined Lucknow University for his Ph.D. By age 21, he was armed with a PhD in synthetic chemistry.  

Thanks to the white revolution of the 1970s, today India ranks first in milk production, accounting for 18.5 % of world production. While this was possible due to sustained efforts in dairy farming, a new wave of genetic engineering looks to disrupt these numbers very soon. Apart from increasing milk production, scientists are applying techniques of genetic engineering to modify cow’s milk to make it more nutritious, free of allergens and easy to digest. By genetically engineering milk, scientists also hope to keep the food security scare at bay.