For more than three decades, Kalpana Jain has reported on stories that have a profound impact on people's lives — from public health to religion and politics.
She began her journalism career at The Times of India, where she covered public health, social justice and development. She reported on India's emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic at a time when it remained largely invisible in public discourse. Her reporting helped bring wider public attention to the epidemic and contributed to policy change. Her book, Positive Lives, was among the first journalistic accounts of the epidemic in India.
Jain conducted several investigations into corruption in India's health system and the pharmaceutical industry that led to the banning of harmful drugs. Her reporting also contributed to the resignation of India's health minister. In 2009, she was selected as a Nieman Fellow in Global Health Reporting at Harvard University.
As her career evolved, Jain became increasingly interested in religion — its role in society, how it shapes politics, and the different ways people understand and practice it. Today, she is Senior Religion & Ethics Editor at The Conversation U.S., where she founded the publication's Religion & Ethics vertical and the Education Desk. She also serves as Director of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, an editorial partnership with the Associated Press and Religion News Service.
In 2025–26, Jain was a Visiting Researcher at MINDA (Malaysian Inclusive Development and Advancement Institute) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Her research explored misinformation and how public policy is addressing it in Malaysia and across Southeast Asia. She also conducted fieldwork at sacred sites in the region to better understand how religion can strengthen social cohesion, but also how it can get intertwined with politics.
Beyond Reporting
Beyond reporting, Jain has worked to expand opportunities for young people through journalism. She has trained journalists across India and conducted journalism workshops for rural girls.
She authored a Harvard Kennedy School case study on grassroots leadership and bonded labor in rural India through the work of Gyarsi Bai. The case continues to be taught to global leaders at the Kennedy School.
Published In
Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Religion News Service, The Christian Science Monitor, Vox, Sojourners, Harvard Divinity Bulletin, PRI's The World, The Wire and The Times of India, among other publications.
Education
Jain holds a master's in theological studies from Harvard Divinity School and a master's in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School.