Famous Women Scientists in India

Gender equality has been one of the most contentious issues in recent years. If we go deeper into history, we’ll find that women’s achievements in science, the arts, sports, and finance have been just as valuable as men’s, but their accomplishments are often overlooked or lost over time. 

Technology has progressed tremendously over time, and this would not have been possible without the contributions of scientists. While many of us are aware of the invaluable contributions of renowned scientists such as C.V. Raman, Meghnad Saha, and Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, many of us are oblivious of the achievements of women in science. So here are 8 Indian women who have made us proud by contributing to science!

Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi: 

In June 1883, Anandibai enrolled in the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania’s medical program. She started her path to becoming a doctor when she was 19 years old. She earned her MD in obstetrics three years later, when she was 21. Her thesis was titled ‘Obstetrics Among the Aryan Hindoos,’ and it included aspects from both Western and Indian Ayurvedic medicine. Upon graduation, she even received a congratulatory note from Queen Victoria.

Janaki Ammal: 

Janaki Ammal was born in Tellichery, Kerala, in 1897. Dewan Bahadur Edavalath Kakkat Krishnan, a Madras Presidency sub-judge, was her father. Janaki Ammal Edathil Kakkat was an Indian botanist who worked on cytogenetics and phytogeography studies. Her work on sugarcane and eggplant is particularly noteworthy. She has collected a wide range of medicinal and economic plants from Kerala’s rain forests.

Kamala Sohonie: 

Dr. Kamala Sohonie was a strong advocate for women in STEM fields. Her famous battle with a Nobel Laureate secured Indian women’s admission to the Indian Institute of Sciences. She overcame difficulties to become the first Indian woman to earn a Ph.D. in a scientific field. sohonie went on to become the director of the Indian Institute of Science and, in 1966, co-founded the Consumer Guidance Society of India with eight other women. From 1982 to 1983, she was their president. In 1997, she was awarded the National Award for Excellence and Contribution to Science.

Asima Chatterjee: 

Dr. Asima Chatterjee struggled against all difficulties to attain her goal in an era when women were not even allowed to choose their career paths. Ms. Chatterjee will be remembered for her eloquent and powerful Presidential Address, Science and Technology in India: Present and Future, delivered at the 62nd session of the Indian Science Congress in 1975, which reflected her vision and foresight as well as her immense contribution to the field of medical and organic chemistry.

Rajeshwari Chatterjee: 

Many brave women have beaten the odds and proven their worth in the field of STEM, motivating other women to pursue careers in science to help humanity progress, one of whom was Rajeshwari Chatterjee, our country’s first female engineer. Rajeshwari Chatterjee returned to India after receiving her Ph.D. in 1953 to teach electromagnetic theory, electron tube circuits, microwave technology, and radio engineering at the IISC Department of Electrical Communication Engineering.

Kalpana Chawla: 

Kalpana Chawla was born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, India, to parents Banarasi Lal Chawla and Sanjyothi Chawla. Chawla was chosen as an astronaut candidate in 1994. She worked with Robotic Situational Awareness Displays and evaluated software for the space shuttles after a year of training as a crew representative for the Astronaut Office EVA/Robotics and Computer Branches.

Chawla was interested in offering science education opportunities for young girls in India, and NASA asked Chawla’s secondary school to participate in their Summer Space Experience Program during her time as an astronaut. Since 1998, the school has sent two girls to the United Space School of the Foundation for International Space Education in Houston.

Dr. Indira Hinduja: 

In the last 40 years, artificial reproductive technologies have advanced dramatically, and Dr. Indira Hinduja has been at the forefront of this in India. Indira was enthralled, and her obsession led her to look into IVF in India. She got permission to perform trials on women there.

Indira has received numerous honors for her work, including the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Society of India’s Lifetime Achievement Award (1999), the Dhanvantari Award (2000), and the Padma Shri (2011). Her work has been praised all around the world, and she has over 114 scholarly publications in several national and international magazines.

Dr. Aditi Pant: 

Dr. Aditi Pant, a successful oceanographer, was the first Indian woman to visit Antarctica in 1983 as part of an Indian geology and oceanography mission. She was awarded a US government scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in marine sciences at the University of Hawaii. She earned her Ph.D. from London University’s Westfield College. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the physiology of marine algae. She’s worked at the National Institute of Oceanography and the National Chemical Laboratory, among other places.

Conclusion: 

It is more apparent than ever before that woman in STEM fields have enormous potential to impact the world. Teachers, parents, and society as a whole are required to encourage and motivate girls to grow up to be proud women in science. We all know that women continue to be underrepresented in STEM but a significant change is that we are now loud and clear that the existing lack of diversity needs to improve.