“Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world.”
—Hillary R. Clinton
When the two words women and science are juxtaposed, to many they seem to constitute an oxymoron or, rather a combination which is not feasible. Especially in a country like India, where almost the entire society is shrouded in the darkness of superstitions and ungrounded ideals, education for women is an unthinkable idea, let alone scientific education.
But some brave-hearted and passionate women showed the society the path of liberation from such backwardness by pursuing and preaching science among the women population of the country and abroad, inspiring the entire world to appreciate womanhood, its power and its versatility. InquiScitive is proud to discuss about a few such Indian women scientists who inspired every single woman in this country as well as abroad to take pride in their womanhood.
1. Dr. Kadambini Bose Ganguly (18th July, 1861 – 3rd October, 1923): She is the first female graduate along with Chandramukhi Basu from India and the entire British Empire. She is also the first South Asian female physician, trained in western medicine, to graduate in South Asia. Dr. Ganguly was a great philanthropist, social reformer and a leader of women emancipation.
2. Dr. Janaki Ammal (1897 – 1984): She pursued a career in scientific research. She was a botanist who studied cytogenetics and phytogeography. She lived in England for a few years, conducting chromosome studies on a wide range of garden plants, but soon returned to India and became the Director General of the Botanical Survey of India. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 1957.
3. Dr. Kamala Sohonie (1912 -1998): She was the first Indian woman to get a Ph.D in a scientific discipline. Dr. Sohonie found that every cell of a plant tissue contained the enzyme ‘cytochrome C’ which was involved in oxidation in all plant cells.
4. Dr. Asima Chatterjee (1917 – 2006): She was the first Indian woman to be awarded D. Sc degree. This eminent chemist is noted for her work in the fields of organic chemistry and phytochemistry (chemicals derived from plants). Her most notable works include research on vinca alkaloids (derived from the periwinkle that is known for its anti-cancer properties), and the development of anti-epileptic and anti-malarial drugs.
5. Dr. Maharani Chakravorty (b. 1937): Maharani Chakravorty is a molecular biologist. She organized the first laboratory course on recombinant DNA techniques in Asia and the Far East in 1981. Among her many accolades, she also received the Professor Darshan Ranganathan Memorial Award in 2007.
6. Dr. Darshan Ranganathan (1941 – 2001): She was an organic chemist from India who was known for her work in bio-organic chemistry, including “pioneering work in protein folding” and “supramolecular assemblies, molecular design, chemical simulation of key biological processes, synthesis of functional hybrid peptides and synthesis of nanotubes.”
7. Dr. Kalpana Chawla (1962 – 2001): She is a personality without whose mention this list will remain incomplete. Kalpana Chawla was an Indian American astronaut and the first woman of Indian origin in space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. In 2003, Chawla was one of the seven crew members killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.
8. Dr. Indira Hinduja: Dr. Indira Hinduja M.D., Ph.D. is an Indian gynecologist, obstetrician and infertility specialist based in Mumbai. She pioneered the Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) technique resulting in the birth of India’s first GIFT baby on 4 January 1988. Previously she delivered India’s s first test tube baby at KEM Hospital on August 6, 1986. She is also credited for developing an oocyte donation technique for menopausal and premature ovarian failure patients, giving the country’s first baby out of this technique on 24 January 1991. She received Padma Shri award from the Government of India in 2011.
9. Dr. Aditi Pant: A well known oceanographer, who was the first Indian woman to have visited the icy terrain of Antarctica in 1983. She was a part of the third Indian expenditure to Antarctica and received the Antarctica award along with three of her colleagues for their contributions to the project.
10. Dr. Suman Sahai: The founder of the Gene Campaign in India, an organization working on food, nutrition and livelihoods. She is a recipient of the Padma Shri, the Borlaug and the outstanding woman achiever awards. Her efforts forced the Government of India to finally take notice of the effects of genetically-modified crops and address the problems faced by the farmers of India.
Quite relevantly said by the famous Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai, “Extremists have shown what they fear the most: a girl with a book.” With this note, InquiScitive requests every woman to utilise their own right to education and literacy as well as to dedicate their interests to scientific studies as science is the only tool for the liberation of womanhood from the ruinous clutches of backwardness and the guide to ultimate success. InquiScitive proudly wishes every woman a happy women’s day.
The author, Vaidehi Roy Chowdhury, is a student of the Postgraduate department of Biotechnology, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata, and the Associate Editor of InquiScitive.
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