{"id":3924,"date":"2026-01-05T23:44:59","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T18:14:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=3924"},"modified":"2026-01-06T10:56:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T05:26:56","slug":"women-in-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/women-in-science\/","title":{"rendered":"Women in Science – Famous Women Scientists in India and their Roles"},"content":{"rendered":"

India has a large number of talented women who have made and continue to make significant contributions to the advancement of science and technology. From vaccines to space, Indian women are breaking scientific stereotypes and paving the way for others to follow. India's history is filled with examples of women scientists who have held top positions in institutions, many of whom have innovated and led cutting-edge technologies.\u00a0One such example is that of Dr. Tessy Thomas, also known as \"The Missile Woman of India\"<\/strong>, who is a prominent scientist at the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).<\/p>\r\n

Prominent Indian Women in Science<\/h2>\r\n

Women scientists in India<\/strong>\u00a0play an important role in the socio-economic development of a nation. For over 100 years, women scientists in India have proven their strength and made great contributions to the scientific growth of the country.<\/p>\r\n

The below table mentions the famous women scientists of India:<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n

Kadambini Basu Ganguly (1861\u20131923)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"Kadambini<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-\u00a0Kadambini Ganguly\u00a0<\/strong>was the\u00a0first female graduate<\/strong>\u00a0of the British Indian Empire.<\/p>\r\n

- She was South Asia's first female physician to receive\u00a0Western medical training.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

-\u00a0Annie Besant,\u00a0<\/strong>in her book\u00a0'How India Wrought For Freedom'\u00a0<\/strong>praised Kadambini as \"A symbol that India's freedom will uplift India's womanhood.\"<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Anandibai Joshi\u00a0<\/strong>(1865\u20131887)<\/p>\r\n

\"Anandibai<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

- Anandi Bai Joshi became the first Indian to\u00a0study medicine<\/strong>\u00a0abroad.<\/p>\r\n

- Her thesis, titled\u00a0'Obstetrics among Aryan Hindus\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  • She drew inspiration from both Ayurvedic and American medical textbooks.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    - She died of\u00a0tuberculosis\u00a0<\/strong>in 1887.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Anna Mani (1918\u20132001)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"Anna<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

- Anna Mani was an Indian physicist and meteorologist.<\/p>\r\n

- Former Deputy Director General of the\u00a0Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

- She contributed to the study of radiation, ozone, and atmospheric electricity, both on the surface and in the upper air, using special sounding techniques.<\/p>\r\n

-\u00a0Books:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  • Handbook for Solar Radiation Data for India in 1980<\/li>\r\n\t
  • Solar radiation over India in 1981<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    -\u00a0Awards:<\/strong>\u00a0K.R. Ramanathan Medal<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

E K Janaki Ammal (1897-1984)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"E<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

- She was a well-known\u00a0botanist\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0plant cytologist<\/strong>\u00a0who contributed significantly to genetics, evolution, phytogeography, and ethnobotany.<\/p>\r\n

- Her studies on chromosome numbers and ploidy in many cases shed light on the evolution of species and varieties.<\/p>\r\n

- Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy<\/p>\r\n

- Awarded an honorary LL.D. by the\u00a0University of Michigan\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

-\u00a0Awards:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  • Padma Shri<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    -\u00a0Honors<\/strong>: Two awards were established in her honor:<\/p>\r\n

      \r\n\t
    • \u00a0EK Janaki Ammal\u00a0National Award for Plant Taxonomy<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Animal Taxonomy<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\r\n

Kamala Sohonie (1911-1998)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"Kamala<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-\u00a0Kamala's niche was in the study of<\/strong>\u00a0nutritional elements in common foods such as milk, legumes, and pulses.<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  • This had great relevance to Indian societal needs as the poorest people consumed these food items.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    - Discovered an enzyme in potatoes called\u00a0cytochrome C\u00a0<\/strong>and explained its role in plant respiration.<\/p>\r\n

    - First Indian woman to receive a\u00a0Ph.D in any branch of science.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    - Her work in India demonstrated that the introduction of\u00a0'Neera\u2019,<\/strong>\u00a0a health drink, into the diets of malnourished tribal adolescent children and pregnant women, resulted in a significant improvement in their overall health.<\/p>\r\n

    -\u00a0Awards:\u00a0<\/strong>Rashtrapati Award.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Rajeswari Chatterjee (1922-2010)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"Rajeswari<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

- She was the first woman scientist to pioneer in the Field of\u00a0Microwave Engineering and Antennae Engineering<\/strong>\u00a0in India.<\/p>\r\n

-\u00a0Awards:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  • Mountbatten Prize<\/strong>\u00a0for the best paper by the Institute of Electrical and Radio Engineering in the United Kingdom<\/li>\r\n\t
  • J C Bose Memorial Prize<\/strong>\u00a0for the best research paper by The Institution of Engineers'<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    - She retired from IISc, Bengaluru, as Professor and Chairperson of the\u00a0Department of Electro-Communication Engineering.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Darshan Ranganathan<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

(1941-2001)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"Darshan<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

- She was known for reproducing\u00a0natural biochemical processes in the laboratory.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

- She was a specialist in designing proteins to hold a wide variety of different conformations and designing nanostructures using self-assembling peptides.<\/p>\r\n

- Known for her work in supramolecular assemblies, molecular design, chemical simulation of key biological processes, synthesis of functional hybrid peptides and synthesis of nanotubes.<\/p>\r\n

-\u00a0Books:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  • Challenging problems in organic reaction mechanisms.<\/li>\r\n\t
  • Art in biosynthesis: the synthetic chemist's challenge.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\r\n

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (1953)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"Kiran<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/strong>She is the\u00a0Chairman & Managing Director, Biocon Limited\u00a0<\/strong>a biotechnology company based at Bangalore.<\/p>\r\n

- Biocon produces drugs for cancer, diabetes and auto-immune diseases.<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  • Product pipeline include the world's first oral insulin currently undergoing Phase III clinical trial.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    -\u00a0Awards:<\/strong>Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Asima Chatterjee (1917-2006)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"Asima<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

- She was the first woman President of the Indian Science Congress and a member of the Rajya Sabha.<\/p>\r\n

- Her research focused on natural products, particularly\u00a0medicinal chemistry.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

- Chatterjee was successful in developing\u00a0Ayush-56 an anti-epileptic drug<\/strong>, as well as an\u00a0anti-malarial drug.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

-\u00a0Awards:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  • Padma Bhushan<\/li>\r\n\t
  • Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Award<\/li>\r\n\t
  • C V Raman Award of the UGC<\/li>\r\n\t
  • P C Ray Award.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\r\n

Dr. Indira Hinduja (1946)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"Dr.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

- She is an\u00a0Indian gynecologist; obstetrician.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

- First Indian woman who delivered a\u00a0test tube baby<\/strong>\u00a0in 1986.<\/p>\r\n

- She also pioneered the\u00a0Gamete Intra Fallopian Transfer (GIFT)<\/strong>\u00a0technique, which resulted in the birth of India's first GIFT baby.<\/p>\r\n

- She is credited with developing an\u00a0oocyte donation technique<\/strong>\u00a0for\u00a0menopausal and premature ovarian failure patients<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  • She is best known for giving birth to the country's first baby using this technique in 1991.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    -\u00a0Award:<\/strong>\u00a0Padma Shri<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Dr N Kalaiselvi (1967)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"Dr<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

- Dr. Kalaiselvi is a Lithium-ion battery scientist.<\/p>\r\n

- She has been involved in projects to increase\u00a0electric mobility in India.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

- In 2022, she was appointed\u00a0first woman Director General\u00a0<\/strong>of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for a span of two years.<\/p>\r\n

- She has worked as a Nodal Scientist for MULTIFUN\u00a0(Multifunctional Electrodes and Electrolytes for Futuristic Technologies)<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n

- Her research\u00a0work is focused on<\/strong>\u00a0electrochemical power systems and developing electrode materials, custom-design synthesis methods, optimising reaction parameters etc.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Tessy Thomas (1963)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"Tessy<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-\u00a0Tessy Thomas\u00a0<\/strong>is the Director General of Aeronautical Systems.<\/p>\r\n

- Former project director for the\u00a0Agni-IV missile<\/strong>\u00a0in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).<\/p>\r\n

- Regarded as the\u00a0'Missile Woman' of India,<\/strong>\u00a0she is the first woman scientist in the history of the country to head a missile project.<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  • She designed the guidance scheme for\u00a0long-range missile\u00a0<\/strong>systems, which is used in all\u00a0Agni missiles.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    -She has worked on guidance, trajectory simulation, and mission design at the\u00a0DRDO<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n

    - She designed the guidance scheme for\u00a0long-range missile\u00a0<\/strong>systems, which is used in all\u00a0Agni missiles.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    -\u00a0Awards:<\/strong>\u00a0Agni Self-reliance award in 2001.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Mary Poonen Lukose (1886-1976)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"Mary<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

- Mary Poonen Lukose was an\u00a0Indian gynecologist and obstetrician.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

-\u00a0First female Surgeon General in India.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

- In 1924, she became the\u00a0\u2018Durbar Physician\u2019,<\/strong>\u00a0head of Travancore\u2019s medical service and the first Indian woman to hold such a post.<\/p>\r\n

- Established a\u00a0tuberculosis sanatorium<\/strong>\u00a0at Nagercoil (Tamil Nadu) and the\u00a0X-Ray and Radium Institute<\/strong>\u00a0in Trivandrum.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Bhibha Chawdhary (1931-1991)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"Bhibha<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

- Bhibha Chowdhury was the first woman particle physicist in India.<\/p>\r\n

- First Indian woman to earn a Ph.D. in Physics.<\/p>\r\n

- She had developed\u00a0photographic nuclear emulsions<\/strong>\u00a0that were usefully able to image and accurately measure high-energy nuclear particles and events, significantly advancing the field of\u00a0particle physics<\/strong>\u00a0in her time.<\/p>\r\n

- Conducted research on\u00a0cosmic rays and air showers\u00a0<\/strong>(showers of ionized particles when cosmic rays enter the atmosphere).<\/p>\r\n

-\u00a0Doctoral thesis<\/strong>\u00a0was on \u201cextensive air showers associated with penetrating particles.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

Contribution of Women in Science<\/h2>\r\n

According to the\u00a0Department of Science and Technology (DST),<\/strong>\u00a0women made up 28% of participants in 2018-19 in extramural\u00a0Research and Development (R&D) projects,<\/strong>\u00a0up from 13% in 2000-01.<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  • The proportion of women primary investigators in R&D increased more than fourfold, from 232 in 2000-01 to 941 in 2016-17.<\/li>\r\n\t
  • The proportion of female researchers\u00a0increased from 13.9% in 2015 to 18.7% in 2018.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    Participation of Women in Space Programmes<\/h3>\r\n
      \r\n\t
    • Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan):India's maiden mission to Mars was\u00a0<\/strong>launched in\u00a02013\u00a0<\/strong>by the ISRO. It made India the 4th country to successfully place a satellite into the orbit of the\u00a0Red Planet.<\/strong>\r\n
        \r\n\t
      • Ritu Karidhal, Nandini Harinath, Anuradha TK<\/strong>,\u00a0Moumita Dutta<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Minal Rohit<\/strong>\u00a0etc., were some of the women who played a crucial role.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
      • Chandrayaan 2:<\/strong>\u00a0For the first time in India's history, Chandrayaan-2, India's second mission to the moon, was led by two women scientists from the\u00a0ISRO.<\/strong>\r\n
          \r\n\t
        • While\u00a0Vanitha Muthayya<\/strong>\u00a0headed the mission as project director, Ritu Karidhal (Rocket Woman of India)was the mission director.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
        • Chandrayaan 3:The mission was led by India's rocket woman,\u00a0Ritu Kridhal Shrivastava,\u00a0<\/strong>and deputy project director\u00a0Kalpana Kalahasti.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

          Women in STEM: a CSIR Survey, 2022<\/h3>\r\n

          The survey on gender parity revealed that:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

            \r\n\t
          • A significant number of CSIR labs lacked female chief scientists, highlighting a two-decade trend of male-dominated leadership positions.<\/li>\r\n\t
          • Across various levels and clusters, the proportion of women scientists and technical staff remained notably low, comprising only about 18% of total scientists and 15% of technical staff within the CSIR labs examined.<\/li>\r\n\t
          • Women in\u00a0STEM face numerous challenges<\/strong>, like lack of work-home balance, discrimination, harassment at workplaces and financial disparities.\r\n\r\n
              \r\n\t
            • Project funds allocated to women Principal Investigators were considerably lower than their male counterparts in specific clusters.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

              Challenges in Gender Disparity in Indian Science<\/h2>\r\n
                \r\n\t
              • Low Representation of Women in Indian R&D Workforce<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
              • According to the\u00a02018 National Task Force<\/strong>\u00a0on Women in Science report, only\u00a015%\u00a0<\/strong>of the Indian R&D workforce are women, against the\u00a0global average of 30%.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
              • Similar gender disparities exist in S&T teaching institutions.<\/li>\r\n\t
              • Root Cause: Gender Mindset<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
              • The most significant reason for the gender disparity is the prevailing gender mindset.\r\n\r\n
                  \r\n\t
                • Gender bias starts from infancy, reinforced by academic books and societal norms.<\/li>\r\n\t
                • Parents, teachers, and educational institutions often contribute to discouraging girls from pursuing science.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                • Institutional Barriers<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
                • Fewer institutions in India offer science programs compared to arts and commerce.<\/li>\r\n\t
                • Other challenges:\u00a0<\/strong>Women in science face numerous hurdles and biases.\r\n\r\n
                    \r\n\t
                  • Peer recognition is often limited.<\/li>\r\n\t
                  • Participation in scientific conferences, such as the Indian Science Congress, is typically low for women, especially in prominent roles.\r\n\r\n
                      \r\n\t
                    • For example:<\/strong>\u00a0In\u00a02021 and 2022,<\/strong>\u00a0all 23 winners were men, and\u00a0CSIR didn't recognize any women scientists<\/strong>\u00a0for their contributions.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                      Government Initiatives for Promoting Science Among Women<\/h2>\r\n

                      The government has launched programs and initiatives to provide women with access to education and training in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as to support their professional development and advancement.<\/p>\r\n

                        \r\n\t
                      • \u2018Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN (WISE-KIRAN)\u2019:\u00a0<\/strong>It ensures the participation of women in the field of Science and Technology (S&T) through various gender-enabling programmes.\r\n\r\n
                          \r\n\t
                        • \u2018Women Scientists Scheme\u2019\u00a0<\/strong>under WISEKIRAN provides various opportunities to women scientists and technologists, especially those who had a break in their careers, to pursue research.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                        • Indo-US Fellowship for Women in STEMM<\/strong>\u00a0(Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine): It encourages women scientists and technologists to conduct international collaborative research at prestigious\u00a0US institutions.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
                        • Vigyan Jyoti<\/strong>: Programme launched by the\u00a0DST<\/strong>\u00a0for meritorious girl students of Class 9-12 to encourage them to pursue education and careers in science and technology, particularly in the areas where women are under represented.<\/li>\r\n\t
                        • Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI):<\/strong>\u00a0It aims to transform institutions for a more gender-sensitive approach and inclusiveness with the ultimate goal of improving gender equity in S&T.<\/li>\r\n\t
                        • SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research):\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0It aims to address the lower participation of women scientists in research activities and to mitigate gender disparity in science and engineering.<\/li>\r\n\t
                        • \u201cNational Award for Woman Scientist\u201d:<\/strong>\u00a0The\u00a0Ministry of Earth Sciences<\/strong>\u00a0has initiated this award since 2018 which is being conferred to one woman scientist each year.<\/li>\r\n\t
                        • Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology (WEST):<\/strong>\u00a0A new\u00a0I-STEM (Indian Science Technology and Engineering Facilities Map) initiative<\/strong>\u00a0called WEST was launched by the Government of India in 2022.\r\n\r\n
                            \r\n\t
                          • The programme will cater to women with a STEM background and empower them to contribute to the technology and innovation ecosystem.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                            Prominent Indian women in Science and Technology are Dr. Tessy Thomas, Anandibai Joshi, Ritu Karidhal, etc., who contributed towards the growth of science and technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":20104,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[40,556],"class_list":{"0":"post-3924","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-quest-level-3","8":"tag-quest","9":"tag-women-in-science"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3924"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19800,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3924\/revisions\/19800"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}