India's Women Champions in Science
Dr. Manish Mohan Gore
Indian women have show-cased their excellence across a spectrum of disciplines en-compassing art, literature, music and laboratory research. Despite this, historical trajectory reveals that the pursuit of scientific study and research has been more arduous for women in India compared to their male counterparts. This challenge persisted despite India's rich heritage in science and technology. The parti-cipation and contribution of women in science education and research remained conspicuously minimal, largely attributable to societal expectations assigning them roles focused on household management, familial responsibilities and childcare. Unwritten norms constrained their endeavours to the domestic realm, relegating the world beyond as the exclusive domain of men.
In defiance of these entrenched societal constraints and conservative ideologies, a cohort of Indian women emer-ged, choosing to engage in scientific education and research. This paradigm shift was fuelled by the resolute determination of women scientists who, despite facing insults and discrimination, paved the way for subsequent generations. In the pre-Independence era, the representation of Indian women in science was scarce. However, the post-Independence period granted women a degree of autonomy to pursue their aspirations. It was the persistent efforts of these ambitious women scientists, who, in the face of societal pressures, discrimination and insults, stood unwavering in their commitment, gradually opening the pathway for more women to enter the scientific domain and ascend to the pinnacle of excellence.
In our nation, countless women unsung heroes have left indelible marks on various branches of science and technology, subtly but significantly shaping the narrative of progress.
During the post-independence period, a cadre of Indian women scientists emerged with remarkable vigour, making substantial contributions to diverse domains within the realms of science and tech-nology. Let's delve into the notable achievements of these women scientists in independent India.
Dr. Darshan Ranganathan (1941-2001): She is revered as the most prolific organic chemist in post-independent India. She conducted groundbreaking research on plant proteins, particularly contributing to the chemical simulation of the ATP imidazole cycle and urea cycle. Her work has significantly expanded the horizons for future research in these areas. In 1998, she assumed the position of Deputy Director at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, a laboratory under CSIR, located in Hyderabad. Throughout her career, she authored 132 research papers and co-authored three books alongside her husband, Prof. S. Ranganathan, a distinguished bio-organic chemist and the head of the Department of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Prof. Gagandeep Kang: The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical importance of vaccines and life-saving drugs. One Indian woman who has dedicated significant time to the science of outbreaks, infections and vaccines is Prof. Gagandeep Kang. She served as the Executive Director of the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. At THSTI, she made noteworthy contributions to translational research in vaccines, diagnostics and maternal and child health. Prof. Kang's research areas include enteric infection modelling, rotavirus and public health.
Her accomplishments extend to being an elected Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). Notably, in the 360-year history of this esteemed scientific academy, no Indian woman scientist had been elected as a Fellow before her. Thus, she holds the distinction of becoming the first Indian woman scientist to be elected as an FRS, thereby making history.
Prof. Manju Bansal: Women scientists in India consistently demonstrate vision, engaging in research across novel realms of science, technology and engineering. One such visionary scientist, Prof. Manju Bansal, has paved the way by developing innovative computational tools for the analysis and modelling of nucleic acid and protein structures. Her affiliation was with the Molecular Biophysics Unit at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. Additionally, she served as the founding Director of the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology in Bengaluru. Her expertise has garnered invitations from various national and international science agencies. Recognising her contribution to advancing the understanding of biological structures, the International Protein Data Bank in the USA invited her to join its Advisory Board.
Dr. Mythily Ramaswamy: While all women scientists inadvertently inspire society, the younger generation and especially female students, to pursue science in their studies and research, some women scientists actively organise various programmes specifically designed for girls and researchers. One notable Indian female scientist and mathematician who engages in such initiatives is Dr. Mythily Ramaswamy. She consistently orchestrated creative workshops for girls, encouraging them to delve into the realms of mathematics and research. Dr. Mythily specialises in the field of partial differential equations and functional analysis. Her research significantly contributes to weather predictions, aeronautics and medicine. The application of partial differential equations is particularly vital in calculating the appropriate dosage of medicine for administration. Currently serving as a Professor in the Depart-ment of Mathematics at the TIFR Centre for Applicable Mathematics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bengaluru, Dr. Mythily actively promotes the pursuit of mathematics among aspiring students.
Dr. Renee Maria Borges: The research endeavours of Indian women scientists have been remarkably extensive, encompassing various sub-branches of science and technology in addition to general science. A distinguished figure in this regard is Renee Maria Borges, who has made significant contributions to the fields of biological evolution, behavioural and sensory ecology, particularly focusing on plant and animal interactions. Dr. Renee currently holds the position of Professor at the Centre of Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. Dr. Renee's scholarly pursuits have taken her to natural habitats and forests around the world, allowing her to explore the intricate connections between ecosystems and life forms. A pivotal outcome of her research is the insight that comprehending the process of evolution enhances our appreciation for the diverse forms of life on Earth.
Dr. Nandivada Rathnasree: Some women scientists have made significant contributions to fostering scientific awareness among younger generations and Nandivada Rathnasree (1963-2021) exemplified such dedication. She completed her Ph.D. at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), where she distinguished herself as the first research scholar to investigate binary stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Transitioning from academic and research pursuits, she emerged as an astrophysicist and an adept science communicator.
For over two decades, Dr. Rathnasree served as the Director of the Nehru Planetarium in Delhi. During her tenure, she modernised the planetarium's projection system, evolving it from an opto-mechanical to a hybrid system that incorporates both digital and mechanical projections. Beyond infrastructure upgrades, she introduced numerous research and outreach programmes tailored especially for children.
Recognising the historical significance of architectural structures in our country, Dr. Rathnasree proposed a novel idea-utilising stone-built historical structures like the Jantar Mantar observatories as astronomical instruments for teaching astronomy to students.
As a member of the Astronomical Society of India (ASI), she chaired ASI's Public Outreach and Education Committee in 2014, where she recommended various programmes to enhance the communication of scientific concepts to the general public. Dr. Rathnasree also served as an Advisor to the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) on astronomy-related communication strategies and contri-buted to science and astronomy publications for the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
Despite her numerous endeavours to instill a scientific temper in society, Dr. Rathnasree tragically succumbed to the battle against the COVID pandemic in May 2021.
Dr. Rohini Godbole: While many women scientists have authored numerous research publications, only a select few have documented works that serve as motivational pieces for younger generations venturing into the realm of science. Dr. Rohini Godbole stands out in this regard, having edited an informative and inspiring collection of biographical essays titled "Lilavati's Daughters," focusing on women scientists in India. As a distinguished physicist in the country, Dr. Godbole specialises in elementary particle physics, field theory and phenomenology. Currently serving as a Professor at the Center for High Energy Physics in the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, she has dedicated over three decades to extensive research on various aspects of particle phenomenology. Dr. Godbole holds the esteemed position of being an elected Fellow of India's three academies of Science and she is also recognised as a Fellow of The World Academy of Science in Developing Countries (TWAS).
Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Godbole's passion lies in communicating science and elucidating the diverse aspects and applications of physics in our lives. Renowned as a proficient science communicator, she frequently delivers talks to students, research scholars and fellow scientists.
Dr. Ritu Karidhal: Every child harbours an innate curiosity about space and the universe and one such inquisitive girl from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, spent her childhood gazing at the night sky for hours. Intrigued by the ever-changing shape of the moon, this school-going child began collecting newspaper cuttings and avidly following news related to ISRO and NASA. In her formative years, she was resolute in her determination to become a space scientist. The dreams of the little girl materialised. Dr. Ritu Karidhal currently serves as an Aerospace Engineer at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and has held the position of Deputy Operations Director for India's ambitious Mars Orbiter Mission Mangalyaan. Mangalyaan marked a significant milestone for ISRO as it was the first instance globally where a country successfully reached the Mars planet in its maiden attempt. Following the success of Mangalyaan, Dr. Ritu took on the role of Mission Director for the Chandrayaan-2 mission. Additionally, she contributed to Chandrayaan-3, India's lunar exploration mission, which successfully landed on the South pole of the moon, bringing pride to the nation on the global stage.
Dr. Tessy Thomas: Another notable figure in the realm of space exploration is Dr. Tessy Thomas, serving as a significant source of inspiration for youth venturing into space science research and careers. Dr. Tessy held the position of Director General of Aero-nautical Systems and formerly served as the Project Director for the Agni-IV missile at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Distinguished as the first woman scientist to lead a missile project in India, she is affectionately known as the "Missile Woman of India." Having joined DRDO in 1988, Dr. Tessy initiated work on the design and development of the new-generation ballistic missile, Agni. Appointed by the Missile Man of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, for the Agni Project, she played pivotal roles as the Associate Project Director for the Agni-III missile project and later as the Project Director for the Agni-IV and Agni-V missions. In recognition of her remarkable contribution to making India self-reliant in missile technology, Dr. Tessy was honoured with the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award.
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan: Some Indian women scientists are making impactful contri-butions on a global scale by assuming esteemed positions in international agencies. One distinguished Indian woman scientist in this regard is Dr. Soumya Swaminathan. Specialising in pediatrics and clinical science, her focused area of research encompasses tuberculosis and HIV. Currently holding the position of Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Soumya joined WHO in 2017 as Deputy Director-General. Her substantial contributions include formulating global policies aimed at safeguarding humanity during the Covid pandemic. Prior to her tenure at WHO, Dr. Soumya served as the Secretary of the Depart-ment of Health Research (DHR), Government of India and as the Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Notably, she is the daughter of the late Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, acclaimed as the Father of the Green Revolution.
Dr. N. Kalaiselvi: In its 80-year history, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India's largest research organisation, has achieved a historic milestone by appointing its first female Director-General. Dr. N. Kalaiselvi assumed the role of Director-General, CSIR-cum-Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) on the morning of August 8, 2022. Dr. Kalaiselvi specialises in electrochemical science, particularly focusing on lithiumion batteries. CSIR comprises a network of 37 laboratories, with nearly 4500 scientists working across the country. Born in Ambasamudram a small city of Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, Dr. Kalaiselvi received her entire education from government schools and colleges in Tamil Nadu. She completed her Ph.D. from Annamalai University, Chidambaram and embarked on her career as an entry-level scientist. Over the course of 25 years, she has achieved remarkable progress in the field of science. Dr. Kalaiselvi entered the CSIR network in 1997, joining its constituent lab CECRI. Through gradual advancement, she reached a significant milestone in 2019 when she became the Director, marking a historic achievement for a female scientist. Interestingly, before joining CSIR-CECRI, she had no prior experience in the field of electrochemistry. Initially trained as an organic chemist, she taught the subject at a private college for nearly three years. Dr. Kalaiselvi's primary re-search focus revolves around electrochemical power sys-tems, with a particular emphasis on developing electrode materials and evaluating in-house manufactured electrode materials for their suitability in energy storage devices.
Indian women scientists have consistently demonstrated re-silience and determination in the face of challenges and adversity. Evidence from studies and data reveals a notable trend in Amrit Kaal, where Indian women are actively engaging in studies and research within the domains of science, techno-logy, mathematics and engineering while maintaining a work-life balance. The anticipated impact of the contributions made by Indian women scientists is expected to be instrumental in the overall development of the country.
(The author is a Scientist with CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research, Editor of 'Vigyan Pragati' and Principal Investigator of Science Media Communi-cation Cell at CSIR-NIScPR. Feedback on this article
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