Indian Women in Science – Famous Women Scientists in India and their Roles

Numerous gifted women from India have made and are still making major contributions to the development of science and technology. Indian women are breaking scientific preconceptions and setting an example for others to follow in fields like space exploration and vaccinations. India’s past is replete with tales of female scientists who rose to prominence in organizations, many of them leading technological innovations. Dr. Tessy Thomas, often referred to as “The Missile Woman of India,” is a well-known scientist employed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). She is one such example.

Prominent Indian Women in Science

In India, women scientists are important to the country’s socioeconomic progress. Indian women scientists have demonstrated their resilience and made significant contributions to the advancement of science in their nation for more than a century.

The famous Indian women scientists are included in the table below:

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Champaran Satyagraha,1917

Kadambini Basu Ganguly (1861–1923)	-The first female graduate of the British Indian Empire was Kathambini Ganguly. -She was the first female doctor in South Asia to acquire training in Western medicine. -In “How India Wrought For Freedom,” Annie Besant lauded Kadambini, calling her “A symbol that India’s freedom will uplift India’s womanhood.”
Anandibai Joshi (1865–1887)	–Anandi Bai Joshi was the first Indian to pursue a medical degree outside. -The subject of her thesis is “Obstetrics Among Aryan Hindus. “She was inspired by American medical texts as well as Ayurvedic ones. -In 1887, tuberculosis snatched her life.
Anna Mani (1918–2001)	-Anna Mani was an Indian meteorologist and physicist. – Former Deputy Director General of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)  -Through the use of specialized sounding techniques, she contributed to the study of radiation, ozone, and atmospheric electricity both above and below the surface. –Books: India’s Handbook of Solar Radiation Data, 19801981 solar radiation over India- Recognition: K.R. Ramanathan Award
E K Janaki Ammal (1897-1984)	-She was a well-known plant cytologist and botanist who made substantial contributions to the fields of ethnobotany, phytogeography, genetics, and evolution. -In many instances, her research on ploidy and chromosomal numbers provided insight into the development of species and variants. -Awarded an honorary LL.D. by the University of Michigan; – Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and Indian National Science Academy –Honors: Two awards were established in her honor: Padma Shri Plant and Animal Taxonomy: The EK Janaki Ammal National Award
Kamala Sohonie (1911-1998)	-Kamala specialized in the analysis of nutrients included in common meals including milk, legumes, and Pulses. Given that the lowest members of society consumed these foods, this was extremely relevant to Indian society’s demands. -identified and elucidated the function of the potato enzyme cytochrome C in plant respiration. -The first female Indian Ph.D. recipient in any field of science. -Her research in India showed that adding “Neera,” a health drink, to the diets of pregnant women and malnourished tribal teenage children significantly improved their general health. -Awards: Rashtrapati Award.
Rajeswari Chatterjee (1922-2010)	-She was India’s first female scientist to make significant contributions to the fields of microwave and antenna engineering. -Awards: The Institute of Electrical and Radio Engineering in the United Kingdom presents the Mountbatten Prize for the best paper. J. C. Bose Memorial Prize awarded by The Institution of Engineers to the finest research article -She left her position as professor and chair of the electro-communication engineering department at IISc, Bengaluru, upon retirement.
Darshan Ranganathan(1941-2001)	-She was renowned for her ability to replicate natural biochemical processes in the lab.  -She was also an expert in creating proteins with a broad range of possible conformations and creating nanostructures using peptides that self-assemble. well-known for her contributions to the fields of supramolecular assemblies, molecular design, chemical modeling of important biological processes, functional hybrid peptide synthesis, and nanotube synthesis. -Books: Difficult issues in the mechanics of organic reactions. The problem for synthetic chemists: art in biosynthesis.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (1953)	–She is the Chairman & Managing Director, Biocon Limited a biotechnology company based at Bangalore. – Biocon produces drugs for cancer, diabetes and auto-immune diseases. Product pipeline include the world’s first oral insulin currently undergoing Phase III clinical trial. – Awards:Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan
Asima Chatterjee (1917-2006)	– She was the first woman President of the Indian Science Congress and a member of the Rajya Sabha. – Her research focused on natural products, particularly medicinal chemistry.– Chatterjee was successful in developing Ayush-56 an anti-epileptic drug, as well as an anti-malarial drug. – Awards:Padma BhushanShanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Award C V Raman Award of the UGCP C Ray Award.
Dr. Indira Hinduja (1946)	– She is an Indian gynecologist; obstetrician.  – First Indian woman who delivered a test tube baby in 1986. – She also pioneered the Gamete Intra Fallopian Transfer (GIFT) technique, which resulted in the birth of India’s first GIFT baby. – She is credited with developing an oocyte donation technique for menopausal and premature ovarian failure patients She is best known for giving birth to the country’s first baby using this technique in 1991. – Award: Padma Shri
Dr N Kalaiselvi (1967)	– Dr. Kalaiselvi is a Lithium-ion battery scientist.- She has been involved in projects to increase electric mobility in India. – In 2022, she was appointed first woman Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for a span of two years. – She has worked as a Nodal Scientist for MULTIFUN (Multifunctional Electrodes and Electrolytes for Futuristic Technologies). – Her research work is focused on electrochemical power systems and developing electrode materials, custom -design synthesis methods, optimising reaction parameters etc.
Tessy Thomas (1963)	– Tessy Thomas is the Director General of Aeronautical Systems.  – Former project director for the Agni-IV missile in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). – Regarded as the ‘Missile Woman’ of India, she is the first woman scientist in the history of the country to head a missile project. She designed the guidance scheme for long-range missile systems, which is used in all Agni missiles.  -She has worked on guidance, trajectory simulation, and mission design at the DRDO. – She designed the guidance scheme for long-range missile systems, which is used in all Agni missiles. – Awards: Agni Self-reliance award in 2001.
Mary Poonen Lukose (1886-1976)	– Mary Poonen Lukose was an Indian gynecologist and obstetrician. – First female Surgeon General in India.– In 1924, she became the ‘Durbar Physician’, head of Travancore’s medical service and the first Indian woman to hold such a post. – Established a tuberculosis sanatorium at Nagercoil (Tamil Nadu) and the X-Ray and Radium Institute in Trivandrum.
Bhibha Chawdhary (1931-1991)	– Bhibha Chowdhury was the first woman particle physicist in India. – First Indian woman to earn a Ph.D. in Physics.- She had developed photographic nuclear emulsions that were usefully able to image and accurately measure high-energy nuclear particles and events, significantly advancing the field of particle physics in her time. – Conducted research on cosmic rays and air showers (showers of ionized particles when cosmic rays enter the atmosphere).  – Doctoral thesis was on “extensive air showers associated with penetrating particles.”

Contribution of Indian Women in Science

In extramural Research and Development (R&D) programs, women constituted 28% of participants in 2018–19, up from 13% in 2000–01, according to the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

• From 232 in 2000–01 to 941 in 2016–17, the percentage of female principal investigators in R&D climbed by more than four times.
• Between 2015 and 2018, the percentage of women working as researchers rose from 13.9% to 18.7%.

Participation of Women in Space Programmes

• India’s first trip to Mars, known as the Mars Orbiter trip (Mangalyaan), was launched by the ISRO in 2013. India became the fourth nation to successfully launch a satellite into Mars’ orbit as a result.
  • Some of the women who were instrumental were Ritu Karidhal, Nandini Harinath, Anuradha TK, Moumita Dutta, and Minal Rohit, among others.
• Chandrayaan 2: Two female scientists from the ISRO led India’s second trip to the moon, Chandrayaan-2, for the first time in the country’s history.
  • Ritu Karidhal, often known as the “Rocket Woman of India,” oversaw the mission as its director, while Vanitha Muthayya served as project director.
• Chandrayaan 3: Kalpana Kalahasti, the deputy project director, and Ritu Kridhal Shrivastava, the rocket woman of India, oversaw the mission.

Women in STEM: a CSIR Survey, 2022

According to the gender parity survey,

• Male-dominated leadership roles have been prevalent at CSIR labs over the past two decades, as seen by the large number of labs without female head scientists.
• The percentage of female scientists and technical personnel remained remarkably low throughout levels and clusters, accounting for just around 18% of all scientists and 15% of technical personnel in the CSIR labs analyzed.
• The absence of a work-life balance, workplace harassment, discrimination, and financial inequality are just a few of the difficulties faced by women in STEM.
  • In many clusters, the amount of project money allotted to female Principal Investigators was much less than that of their male colleagues.

Challenges in Gender Disparity in Indian Science

• Women’s Underrepresentation in Indian R&D Workforce
• In contrast to the 30% global norm, just 15% of Indian R&D workers are women, according to the 2018 National Task Force on Women in Science report.
• Gender differences are also seen in S&T educational institutes.
• Root Cause: Mentality of Gender
• The dominant gender mentality is the primary cause of the gender gap.
  • Gender prejudice is ingrained in society standards and scholarly literature from an early age.
  • It is common for parents, educators, and educational institutions to discourage girls from pursuing careers in science.
• Institutional Difficulties
• Compared to arts and commerce, scientific majors are offered by fewer Indian colleges.
• Additional difficulties: There are several obstacles and prejudices for women in science.
• Peer acknowledgment is frequently scarce.
• Women often have lower participation rates at scientific conferences, especially those with significant responsibilities, like the Indian Science Congress.
• As an illustration, in 2021 and 2022, all 23 awardees were men, and the CSIR failed to honor any female scientists for their accomplishments.

Government Initiatives for Promoting Science Among Women

In order to encourage women’s professional growth and success, the government has started a number of programs and initiatives aimed at giving them access to education and training in STEM sectors (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

• “Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN (WISE-KIRAN)”: Through a variety of gender-enabling initiatives, it guarantees women’s involvement in the area of science and technology (S&T).
  • Women scientists and technologists, particularly those who have taken a professional sabbatical, can pursue research possibilities under the “Women Scientists Scheme” under WISEKIRAN.
• The Indo-US Fellowship for Women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) provides funding to support female technologists and scientists conducting joint international research at esteemed US universities.
• Vigyan Jyoti is a DST initiative that encourages deserving female students in grades 9 through 12 to seek education and jobs in science and technology, especially in fields where women are underrepresented.
• The ultimate purpose of GATI, or Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions, is to improve gender equity in science and technology by transforming institutions to be more inclusive and gender-sensitive.
• The goal of SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research) is to reduce gender inequality in science and engineering by addressing the reduced involvement of female scientists in research activities.
• The Ministry of Earth Sciences established the “National Award for Woman Scientist” in 2018, and it is given to one female scientist annually.
• Women in Science, Technology, and Engineering (WEST): The Indian government introduced WEST, a new I-STEM (Indian Science, Technology, and Engineering Facilities Map) program, in 2022.
  • Women with a background in STEM will be catered to by the program, which will also enable them to make contributions to the technology and innovation ecosystem.

FAQs on Indian Women in Science