Inspiration
On National Science Day, We’re Celebrating These 10 Indian Women in Science
The Indian government has come up with the theme of “Women in Science” for 2020’s National Science Day celebration to recognise the females who’ve their mark in the field of science.
The history of Indian women in intellectual inquiry can be traced back to the Brahmavadinis of the Vedic age that disappeared during the later period only to resurface with the advent of the modern age. Today is National Science Day, marking the 92nd anniversary of the day when C.V. Raman discovered the Raman effect.
Interestingly, the Indian government has come up with the theme of “Women in Science” for this year’s National Science Day celebration to recognise the females who’ve their mark in the field of science. Scroll down to read about them:
- Anandi Gopal Joshi
Anandi Gopal Joshi became the first female doctor in India in an era when women were restricted by strict social norms and denied an education. She left for America at the age of 18 and graduated in western medicine from the Women’s Medical College in Pennsylvania, hence becoming the first Indian women to do so.
- EK Janaki Ammal
Ek Janaki Ammal was the first Indian woman to obtain a PHD made in Botany. she was responsible for adding extra sweetness to the Indian variety of sugarcane and contributed to genetics, phytogeography, evolution and ethnobotany extensively.
- Asima Chatterjee
Asima Chatterjee was the first Indian woman to be elected as the General President of the Indian Science Congress and gave valuable contributions in the field of medicinal chemistry. She was also the first woman to receive the Doctor of Science Degree from an Indian University in 1944 and a recipient of C.V Raman award, PC Ray Award and Padma Bhushan award.
- Anna Mani
Anna Mani was one of the most celebrated Indian scientists known for her contributions in the field of solar radiation, wind energy instrumentation and ozone.
- Kiran Majumdar Shaw
A lady of high entrepreneurial spirit, Shaw is a technically skilled member of the Indian scientific elite class. She founded Biocon, which went on to become the largest biopharmaceutical company in India.
- Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana graduated from Tagore School, Karnal, India, in 1976 and earned a Doctorate of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado in 1988. She was one of the many astronauts who passed away during the crash of space shuttle Columbia.
- Sunetra Gupta
Sunetra Gupta is the professor of Theoretical Epidemiology at the University of Oxford. She has received the scientific medal from the Zoological Society Of London for her contribution in the field.
- Aditi Pant
Aditi Pant is a celebrated Indian Oceanographer who was a part of the expedition team to Antarctica, becoming the first Indian woman to do so. She was inspired by the book “The Open Sea” by Alister Hardy and enrolled in MS with a specialization in Marine sciences.
- Indira Hinduja
Indira Hinduja is the Gynecologist and Fertility Specialist based out of Mumbai. She was responsible for delivering the first Test tube baby in India and the development of Oocyte Donation technique.
- Nandini Harinath
Nandini Harinath, a rocket scientist with ISRO, was the Deputy Operations Director for the Mangalyaan mission. With a career spanning over 20 years, she has worked successfully for a number of projects.
Do you have a favourite woman in science from India? Tell us about her in the comment section!
Image courtesy – Wikipedia, Google, The HansIndia