Indian Women Scientists

Swatantrata Ka Amrut Mahotsav Vigyan Vidushi Indian Women Scientists Resource Book on Profiles of Jyotirmayee Dash, an organic chemist who It is critical to provide our millennial girls works on developing anti-cancer therapeutics a glimpse of the professional lives of women were awarded the SSB prize in 2019 and 2020 scientists born out of the Indian soil. Such Indian Women Scientists respectively. The book aims to showcase the stories will resonate more closely with the professional journeys of these women with challenges, fear and doubts that spur out of hile the world is witnessing ‘winds of the role of women researchers. Women have compelling narrative of how the workspaces the socio-cultural conditioning in young girls change’ for women scientists, India is mostly been perceived as followers, colleagues for women got constructed and how they had interested in pursuing science. The narrative Walso not lagging behind. In 2015, the and not as pathfinders and leaders. This evolved over the last 75 years. will paint varied shades in the personalities United Nations resolved to celebrate 11 February notion is not true but an outcome of socio- of contemporary women researchers — every year as ‘International Day for Women cultural conditioning with its roots deeply Our young girls need to know about pre- the virtues they believe in, the traits they and Girls in Science’, which further invigorated embedded in ever pervasive patriarchy. As a independence status of women education to be have inculcated, their low points, risks are the global mission for justice and equality. In part of the SwAM activities, we perceive this able to connect the past, appreciate our present undertaken and the ingenious solutions and 2020, India celebrated National Science Day resource book as an instrument to project the and create the best of the future. An exciting strategies they have adopted to overcome with ‘Women in Science’ as the focal theme. accurate picture at the horizon and present a example is Bethune college in Kolkata that came barriers for furthering their interest in An equally enthralling announcement came compilation of biographies showcasing stellar up in the late 19th century and has produced the science. We have taken a special note of when 11 chairs were established in the names accomplishments of Indian women STEMM youngest Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar prize winner maintaining the diversity of role models of women scientists from India at institutions researchers from 1947-2021. These women have (2019)— the mathematician Neena Gupta who by selecting women scientists from various across the country. Such reverence is most demonstrated Jan-bhagidaari in true sense solved the ‘Zariski Cancellation Problem’. The disciplines e.g., Space sciences (Tessy Thomas deserved and was long due. for building and strengthening the scientific book will weave together several intertwining and Ritu Karidhal Srivastava), Mathematics enterprise’ of the 21st century India. threads such as modernization of education, (Sujatha Ramdorai), Computer Science India is celebrating ‘Swatantrata (Azadi) Ka revival of women education and the rise of (Sanghamitra Bandopadhyaya), Neuroscience Amrut Mahotsav (SwAM) as a Jan-Utsav in the If one tries to map successful women researchers colonial science during the late 19th century. (Vatsala Thirumalai), Geologist (Sudipta spirit of Jan-Bhagidari dedicated to its citizens to pre and early post-independence era, the For example – the mention of Anandibai Joshi, Sengupta), and Science Administration who have contributed to India becoming outcome would be a patchy, sparingly populated the first female to receive training in western (Manju Sharma and Renu Swarup). Such an empowered nation. Jan-bhagidaari timeline. However, the patches bask in their own medicine abroad is incomplete without the diversity will inspire the young girls to break means equal contribution of the people— glory; each one representing a woman who dared acknowledging the herculean efforts of Jyotiba boundaries of disciplines which is a significant women, men and others in nation to dream of not only getting educated but also Phule, who stirred a movement for women’s feature and problem of gendered science. building. STEMM (Science, Technology, showcasing professionalism and leadership in education in mid 19th century. Similarly, though Engineering, Mathematics and science. For e.g. . E.K Janaki Ammal reorganised the Calcutta medical college was established The book is aimed at sending a message to the Medicine) are the prime engines the Botanical Survey of India, Rajeshwari in 1835, it took almost 50 years for Kadambini policy makers, S&T leaders, and other decision that have steered national Chatterjee became the first women faculty at Ganguly to make history by being the first making bodies to keep up the recent traction growth and created the IISc and Asima Chatterji, the first women to be female graduate in medicine in 1883. The that they have built up to promote ‘Women in self-reliant India of awarded D.Sc. degree of any Indian University. narrative will allow our readers to take a leap to Science’. We hope that the tell-tale ignites the 2021. The drivers of the landscape of medical research in 21st century ‘Will and Resolve’ in the society to appreciate the the STEMM engine In contrast, the timeline for the first India, to tell the pride instilling tales of clinician contribution of women as who they are and not in are both women and two decades of this millennium appears scientists such as Soumya Swaminathan who the light of the commonly used phrase ‘A woman men. However, we more populated with many young women stepped up to the position of Deputy Director is as worthy as men’. This ‘attitude shift’ sounds lag behind or rather scientists leading institutions and winning General at World Health Organisation in 2017 a bit utopian, but even a modest achievement remain oblivious the major science awards in India. Aditi Sen and Gagandeep Kang who became the first in this direction will be our true celebration of to applauding De, a quantum computation physicist and women to be elected to the Royal Society in 2019. SwAM for women in science. Milestones of Women in Indian Science Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi (1865 – 1887) 1848 1881 1883 1886 THE PIONEERS Savitribai Jyotiba Phule Lady Abala Bose Chandramukhi Basu & Kadambini Ganguly Anandibai Gopalrao Ramabai Ranade First Indian female to study and graduate First female teacher of First Indian woman to Kadambini Ganguly India’s first female Joshi Set up first girls’ high with a degree western India who founded the study medicine at Madras Calcutta University doctor & practitioner First first Indian school in Pune first girls’ school University produces the first two of western medicine female doctor of medicine from the women graduates in India in the whole of South western medicine Those who treaded the United States, 1886. Asia She is believed to be the first woman to set foot on American soil 1926 1917 1910 1894 1888 unconventional path from India. Begum Rokeya Jagadish Chandra Bose & Sarala Devi Chaudhurani Rukhmabai Raut Rupa Bai Furdoonji Chandramukhi Basu Sultana Lady Abala Bose Established first women’s The second woman to World’s first female First female head of Kadambini Ganguly Mary Poonen Bibha Chowdhary Pioneer in Basu Bigyan Mandir (Bose organization Bharat both receive a medical anesthetist an undergraduate Women’s Institute) established (1861-1923) Lukose (1913-1991) Stree Mahamandal degree and practice academic establishment Educational for promoting female medicine in the South Asia The first Indian women (1886-1976) First woman high Rights in India to get admission to The first energy physicist of education Calcutta Medical female Surgeon India and The First College (1884), General in Woman Scientist becomes India’s India, 1938. She at the TIFR (1948), 1938 1939 1939 1943 1944 1948 first female doctor & became the was honored by Mary Poonen Lukose Kamala Sohonie Iravati Karve Ayyalasomayajula Lalitha Asima Chatterjee Anna Mani practitioner (1886) of first woman the International First female Surgeon First Indian woman First Indian female India’s first woman First woman to be First woman joined General in India to receive a PhD in a anthropologist engineer awarded a Doctor of the Meteorological western medicine in obstetrician of Astronomical Union by scientific discipline Science by an Indian department in Pune the whole South Asia. India. naming a white yellow University – Calcutta dwarf star after her. University

Edavaleth Kakkat Kamala Sohonie Asima Chatterjee Janaki Ammal (1911-1998) (1917-2006) 1961 1960 1952 1949 1948 (1897-1984) A renowned botanist First woman to be Asima Chatterjee Kamal Ranadive Rajeshwari Chatterjee Edavaleth Kakkat Janaki Hansa Mehta Bibha Chowdhary Renowned botanist & and plant cytologist awarded a Doctor of First female Established India’s first Built the first microwave Ammal First women Vice- First woman High Energy plant cytologist, made who made significant Science by an Indian recipient of a Shanti tissue culture research lab- research laboratory of India The first Director of Chancellor of Baroda Physicist of India and First significant contributions contributions to University (Culcutta) Swarup Bhatnagar oratory at the Indian Cancer at IISc Bangalore the Central Botanical University Woman Scientist at TIFR Prize in Chemical Research Centre in Mumbai Laboratory at Allahabad to genetics, evolution, genetics, evolution, in 1944. She is the Science Category phytogeography and phytogeography and first woman to ethnobotany. First ethnobotany. First be elected as the director of the Central director of the Central General President of Botanical Laboratory at Botanical Laboratory at the Indian Science 1961 1968 1975 1977 1978 1981 Bimla Buti Hiriyakkanavar Ila Archana Sharma Edavaleth Kakkat Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Allahabad, 1952 Allahabad, 1952 Congress Satyavati M Sirsat First Indian woman First woman to receive the First female received the Janaki Ammal First Woman Science Founder and Physicist Fellow of PhD from Indian Institute Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar First Indian scientist to Entrepreneur President of the Indian National Science Iravati Karve Debala Mitra Purnima Sinha of Technology (IIT), Kanpur Prize in the Biological have received the Padma Electron Microscope Academy(INSA) (1905-1970) (1925-2003) (1927 – 2015) Society of India Sciences category Shri Award First Indian female First Indian An Indian physicist anthropologist. archaeologist who receives a She founded the served as Director doctorate in physics Department of General of the under the guidance 1995 1994 1991 1983 1981 Anthropology at the Archaeological of Prof Satyendra Manju Sharma GV Satyavati Sudipta Sengupta Sudipta Sengupta Indira Nath Debala Mitra University of Pune Survey of India, 1981. Nath Bose. She did First Woman First woman Director First woman geologist to & Aditi Pant First woman immunologist First woman Director- in 1963. She also She explored and tremendous work Secretary of General of ICMR receive the Shanti Swaroop First Indian women to to receive the Shanti General of the Archaeological held the post of the excavated several in the field of x-ray Department of Bhatnagar Award in the visit the Antarctica Swaroop Bhatnagar Survey of India Vice-Chancellor of Buddhist sites. crystallography of Biotechnology Earth Sciences category Award in the Medical Sciences category SNDT University. clay minerals.

Rajeshwari Chatterjee Anna Mani Kamal Ranadive 2001 2005 2006 2011 2015 (1922-2010) (1918-2001) (1917-2001) Ketayun Ardeshir Archana Bhattacharyya Sujatha Ramadori Tessy Thomas Renu Swaroop Sanghamitra Women Engineer who First woman joined Established India’s first Dinshaw First woman Director First Indian Mathematician First woman scientist Establishment of India’s Bandopadhyay pioneered research in the Meteorological tissue culture research Padma Shri for of Indian Institute of to win the prestigious ICTP to head a missile largest microbial resource First woman microwave engineering. department in Pune, laboratory at the Indian contribution in evolution Geomagnetism, DST Ramanujan Prize project in India centre, Microbial Culture Computer Scientist & She is the first woman 1948. She significant Cancer Research Centre of cancer treatment and Collection Director of the Indian engineer at IISc who pioneer contributions in Mumbai, 1960. She was radiation therapy Statistical Institute joined the Department of in the field of solar among the first to recognise Electrical Communication radiation, ozone the connection between 2020 2019 2018 2017 Engineering (ECE) and wind energy cancer susceptibility and instrumentation. the interaction between Jyotirmayee Dash Chandrima Saha GC Anupama Neena Gupta Gagandeep Kang Aditi Sen De Soumya Swaminathan hormones and tumour virus. Youngest woman First woman First woman Youngest person First Indian woman First female physicist First Indian to become scientist to receive president of the President of the to ever receive to be elected as a awarded the Shanti WHO’s Deputy Director Shanti Swarop Indian National Astronomical the Shanti Swarup Fellow of the Royal Swarup Bhatnagar Prize General, and also its first Bhatnagar Award in Science Academy Society of India Bhatnagar Prize at Society chief scientist Chemical Sciences (INSA) (ASI) the age of 35 Archana Bhattacharyya Ionospheric Physicist Prof. Sandhya Srikant Neelima Gupte Visweswariah Chanda Nimbkar Saraswathi Statistical Lakshmi Kantam Biochemist Animal breeding Manju Bansal Vishveshwara The Physicist Mannepalli Biophysicist Biophysicist Chemical Engineer

Dr Vatsala Chanda Jog Thirumalai Shobhona P Mohanty Trailblazers Asima Chatterjee Astrophysicist Neurologist Archana Sharma Hejmadi Organic Chemist Sharma Molecular Botanist Priya Davidar Developmental Biologist Conservation Biology Jyotirmayee Biologist of Indian Tanusri Saha- Dash Sudha Dasgupta Organic Mythily Bhattacharya Physicist Dr. Ritu Karidhal Synthesis Ramaswamy Molecular Renu Swarup Srivastava Mathematician Mary Poonen Aerospace Biologist Secretary DBT Science Lukose Engineer First female Surgeon General in India Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi First Indian Sudipta Sengupta Shubha Tole woman doctor Structural R Parimala Annapurni Pushpa Khare Microbiologist Geologist Mathematician Subramaniam Astrophysicist Chandrima Saha Sunita Sarawagi Astrophysicist and Astronomy Immunologist Computer Bibha Science & Edavaleth Kakkat Chowdhary Manjula Reddy Engineer Janaki Ammal First woman Microbiologist First director of the PhD in High Central Botanical Energy Physics Laboratory Neena Gupta Mathematician Rohini Godbole Sudeshna Sinha Elementary Satyavati M Non-linear particle Kadambini Physicst Sirsat Ganguly Physicist Oncologist Charusita First Indian Gagandeep Chakravarty Meena Mahajan woman doctor Kang Quantum Chemist Computer practitioner Microbiologist Engineer Manju Sharma Vidita Vaidya Biotechnologist G V Satyavati Atherosclerosis Neuroscientist Sujatha Iravati Karve Anna Mani and Thrombosis Antropologist Sudha Gajanan Ramdorai Physicist Mathematician Kamala Sohonie Gangal Biochemist Rama Oncologist Govindarajan Chemical Engineer Soumya Tessy Thomas Swaminathan Electrical Clinical Kiran Engineer Scientist Mazumdar Shaw Biotech Hiriyakkanavar Ila Veronica Entrepreneur Rajeshwari Sulabha Organic Chemist Rodrigues Debala Mitra Chatterjee Kashinath Biochemist Archaeologist Electrical Kulkarni Engineer Nanotechnologist Prof. M.S. Shaila Bushra Ateeq Microbiologist Oncologist Sulochana Purnima Sinha Gadgil Physicist Indira Nath Immunologist Meteorologist R J Hans-Gill Mathematician Bimla Buti Plasma Physicist Kamal Ranadive N. Ratnashree Vijayalakshmi Renee M. Biomedical Astrophysicist Ravindranath Borges Ketayun Ardeshir Scientist Dr. Uma Darshan Neuroscientist Ecologist Dinshaw Ranganathan Ramakrishnan Medical Science Organic Molecular Krishna Kamini Chemist Ecologist Rohatgi Mukherjee Aditi Sen Dey Sanghamitra Dr. Seema Sharma Priyadarshini Priti Shankar Photochemistry Quantum Bandopadhyaya Particle Physicist Karve Computer Computation Computer Meteorologist Engineer Engineer VIGYAN PRASAR

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