Empowering Women and Girls in Science!

Throughout history, there have been many incredible and inspiring women who have made significant innovation and contribution in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. However, the field of STEM sees a very low participation of women i.e. it comprises of 28% of women only.

This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, let’s look at 5 Incredible Indian Women Scientists who braved against all odds and set examples in the field of STEM and paved the way for young dreamers. Do tell us who is your favorite!

         Shakuntala Devi           4 November, 1929

The ‘Human Computer’ of India

Her mind could calculate any cube root faster than a computer; she was a child prodigy, a math genius at the age of 3 and a ruler in the world of numbers. Meet Shakuntala Devi, who extracted the 23rd root of a 201-digit number mentally, 12 seconds faster than the Univac-1108 in the year 1977.

Did you know? If given any date of any century, Shakuntala could tell what day of the week it fell on within seconds

Kalpana Chawla               17 March, 1962

Dare to dream of the stars, just like Kalpana Chawla

A young space dreamer from Haryana, her favorite hobby as a child was to draw pictures of aeroplanes and gaze at the night sky while falling asleep. With her strong determination to fly in between the fluffy clouds, Kalpana Chawla became the first Indian aeronautical engineer to travel into space.

Did you know? Kalpana was an ace karate champ, a certified scuba diver and was a pro  Bharatnatyam dancer .

                         Tessy Thomas                                    April, 1963

The Missile lady of India

Breaking the glass ceiling in a male dominated bastion, Tessy Thomas became the first Indian woman to head an Indian missile project. A scientist and a homemaker, she was the Project Director for the Agni-IV and Agni-V missile in Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Did you know? She was awarded the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for her significant contribution.

Anna Mani                        23 August, 1918

Extraordinary experiments with weather!

A well-known meteorologist, Anna Mani had worked under the tutelage of Prof C V Raman. Her research papers on meteorological instrumentation and her significant contributions in the field of solar radiation, ozone and wind energy instrumentation earned her a global fame. She also served as the Deputy Director of Indian Meteorological Department.

Did you know? From 1957-58, Anna Mani was super busy setting up a network of stations to measure solar radiation and study them.

                       Janaki Ammal                                  4 November, 1897

Why Sugar taste sweet? Ask this Indian woman scientist

At a time when women were considered as ornaments and confined to the four walls of their house, Janaki Ammal clearly broke the stereotype and pursued a career in scientific research. A pioneering botanist and cytogeneticist, she is credited with putting sweetness in India’s sugarcane varieties, speaking against the hydro-electric project in Kerala’s Silent Valley and the phenomenal study of chromosomes of thousands of plant species. With her incredible research, she became the first woman scientist to receive the prestigious Padma Shree way back in 1977

Did you know? The sweet smelling flower Magnolia Kobus is named after Janaki Ammal

What these women have accomplished in the various fields of research is nothing short of amazing. Thanks to them, the future aspiring women and girls in India can find role models closer to home.

Let’s take a stand to support and encourage all the women and girls who loves the world of science!!