WOMEN in STEM:
Vanguards of India@75
SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS
JULY 2022
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Dedicated to
All Women Pioneers leading the way across
Science, Technology, Engineering &
Mathematics (STEM) - Vanguards of India@75
MESSAGE
Chandrajit Banerjee
Director General, CII
In a global marketplace that is increasingly driven by science, technology
and innovation (STI), the role of women in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is essential for boosting countries’
competitiveness. This diversity will expand the pool of talented
researchers, bringing in fresh perspectives, talent and creativity.
A diverse workforce is, therefore, critical for enhancing innovative
capacity, sustainability and global competitiveness. Careers in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are often referred to as
the jobs of the future; jobs that will foster sustainable development
and that will drive innovation, social well-being and inclusive growth.
However, despite all the progress, women are vastly underrepresented
in STEM jobs and among STEM degree holders.
This leaves an untapped opportunity to expand diversity in education
and employment. Therefore, the Technology Mission initiated by CII
identifies encouraging women in STEM as one of the key goals. It is
essential to promote participation of women in education and career at
all levels. In fact, the growth journey of New India will be driven by the
success of women scientists in the country.
The present compendium, Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75,
serves as the starting point by capturing some of the successful case
studies that would inspire and advance the agenda of encouraging
women participation in STEM.
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 7
FOREWORD
Vipin Sondhi
Chairman, CII National Mission on Technology, Innovation and Research
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are critical
to the national economy and future development. The higher presence
of women in STEM offers a significant opportunity to further boost
innovation and better represent the needs of all in society for more
inclusive growth and relevant developmental solutions.
As India celebrates ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ at lndia@75, it is important
to recognize women achievers so as to encourage more women to
engage in STEM. These successful women include educators, tech
leaders, innovators and pioneers with technological skills necessary for
a better future.
With this in view, CII is working on a mission to launch technology,
innovation and research across the nation. The purpose of the mission
is to make India a technology leader driven by a focus on innovation
and research. The mission has five key goals including, enhancing
national investment in R&D with a specific focus on encouraging
industry contribution; nurturing Innovation competitiveness; fostering
collaboration among industry-academia-research labs-start-ups and
finally enhancing gender equality in STEM workforce to a minimum of
50 percent by 2047, with an interim milestone of 35 percent by 2030.
Taking forward the goal of enhancing gender equality in the STEM
workforce, CII is bringing out this compendium Women in STEM:
Vanguards of India@75 to highlight and recognize the women achievers
leading the way across STEM. The compendium brings out the rich
talent and passion of India’s women scientists as well as draws on the
captivating stories of women in STEM education and careers.
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 8
FOREWORD
Alok Nanda
Co-Chair, CII National Mission on Technology, Innovation & Research
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is a booming
field and the number of women in STEM is not nearly balanced in the
workforce today. Women’s underrepresentation in STEM and STEM
careers has been well documented and there is a need for the industry
to scale up its commitment and efforts to build a more diverse workforce.
It is recognised and proven that diverse teams bring forth diverse ideas
and perspectives that enrich and expand knowledge and science in all its
facets. While there has been progress in the number of women in STEM,
a lot more can be done to truly unlock the potential in innovation and
problem solving to build the future of science and technology.
To encourage women in STEM, the entire ecosystem comprising the
government, industry and academia will have to make collective efforts
to encourage and enable women to choose STEM in their education
and as a career. Robust programmes, schemes and policies would be
important to support in this advancement. As work-life challenges become
more normalised across genders, work-life balance coupled with policies
like flexible or remote work set-ups, childcare facilities at work, etc. will
not just help redefine the culture and provide the needed support and
encouragement for women, but build an ecosystem where everyone can be
successful. As more women scientists grow at their workplace and become
role models, young girls will be able to envision themselves in these roles
as future leaders in the field of STEM.
Taking forward the agenda of encouraging Women in STEM, CII is working
on this as a mission to enhance gender equality in STEM workforce to a
minimum of 50 per cent by 2047, with an interim milestone of 35 per cent
by 2030. With this, CII has launched the present compendium on Women
in STEM. This compendium, which highlights the role of Women in STEM,
is not just about celebrating their contribution, but also to inspire our
young generation of women scientists on their role as potential and equal
contributors for the sustainable growth of the society.
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 9
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Message — Chandrajit Banerjee............7 ADMINISTRATORS AND POLICYMAKERS
Foreword — Vipin Sondhi......................8
Foreword — Alok Nanda........................9 Anasuya Lahiry Bhadalkar, PhD ................16 Dr Priya Abraham......................................20
Acknowledgements............................12 Jancy Ayyaswamy......................................17 Renu Swarup, PhD.....................................22
Executive Summary............................13 Pranati Das, PhD........................................18 Savita Ayyar, PhD.......................................24
Pratibha Jolly, PhD....................................19 Shanta Thoutam, PhD ...............................25
ACADEMICIANS & RESEARCHERS
Abha Misra, PhD................................................................ 28 Niti Kumar, PhD................................................................. 59
Anindita Bhadra, PhD........................................................ 29 Nitin Shukla Tiwari, PhD.................................................... 60
Dr Bhavana Prasher........................................................... 30 P Hemalatha Reddy, PhD................................................... 62
Chirashree Roy Chaudhuri, PhD........................................ 32 P S Lakshmi Priya, PhD...................................................... 63
Devinder Kaur, PhD .......................................................... 33 Padmshree Mudgal, PhD ..................................................64
Debashree Ghosh, PhD...................................................... 34 Paramjit Khurana, PhD...................................................... 65
Debrupa Lahiri, PhD.......................................................... 35 Pinky Agarwal, PhD........................................................... 66
Dr Dhanya Lakshmi N........................................................ 36 Pooja Devi, PhD................................................................. 67
Dr Gagandeep Kang.......................................................... 37 Dr Pranita P Sarangi.......................................................... 68
Gaiti Hasan, PhD................................................................ 38 Priyanka Bajaj, PhD........................................................... 69
Hemant Sood, PhD............................................................ 39 Rakhi Chaturvedi, PhD...................................................... 70
Jyoti Sharma, PhD.............................................................40 Rama Govindarajan, PhD .................................................. 71
Krishna Ray, PhD............................................................... 41 Remya Parameswar Iyer.................................................... 72
Kusum Deep, PhD.............................................................. 42 Rituparna Sinha Roy, PhD.................................................. 73
Lolitika Mandal, PhD.........................................................44 Rohini Garg, PhD............................................................... 74
Dr M V Padma Srivastava................................................... 45 Rumi De, PhD.................................................................... 75
Madhuri Dutta, PhD..........................................................46 Shalini S Arya, PhD............................................................ 76
Mahua Mukherjee, PhD..................................................... 47 Shubha Tole, PhD............................................................... 77
Megha, PhD.......................................................................48 Smita Chaturvedi, PhD...................................................... 78
Millie Pant, PhD................................................................. 49 Somdutta Sen, PhD........................................................... 79
Mira Mitra, PhD................................................................. 50 Sonika Bhatnagar, PhD...................................................... 80
Mitali Mukerji, PhD........................................................... 51 Sonu Gandhi, PhD............................................................. 81
Munia Ganguli, PhD.......................................................... 52 Sreelaja Nair, PhD ............................................................. 82
Nabamita Banerjee, PhD................................................... 53 Sudeshna Sinha, PhD........................................................ 83
Nandita Narayanasamy, PhD............................................. 54 Sudipta Sengupta, PhD.....................................................84
Neeldhara Misra, PhD........................................................ 55 Sulochana Gadgil, PhD...................................................... 86
Neha Sardana, PhD............................................................ 56 Upasana Ray, PhD.............................................................. 88
N Nishad Fathima, PhD...................................................... 57 Vandana Gambhir, PhD..................................................... 89
Nishima Wangoo, PhD....................................................... 58 Vatsala Thirumalai, PhD..................................................... 90
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 10
BUSINESS INNOVATION STRATEGISTS
Aditi Kulkarni..................................................................... 92 Priya Kanduri................................................................... 115
Adity Ganguly.................................................................... 93 Dr Priyanka Narayan........................................................ 116
Anamika Krishanpal, PhD.................................................. 94 Purna Airan...................................................................... 117
Anuradda Ganesh, PhD...................................................... 95 Purnima Sharma, PhD..................................................... 118
Arpita Ghosh ..................................................................... 96 Renu Agarwal.................................................................. 119
Aruna Achanna.................................................................. 97 Ruchi Pandey................................................................... 120
Ashavaree Sahoo............................................................... 98 Sandhya Thyagarajan...................................................... 121
Bhawna Prabhakar............................................................. 99 Saritha Poovanna............................................................. 122
Binuja Varma, PhD...........................................................100 Satya Sarvani Malladi, PhD.............................................. 123
Charu Srinivasan............................................................. 101 Shilpa Gupta ................................................................... 124
Debjani Nag, PhD............................................................ 102 Sruthi Kannan.................................................................. 125
Geetika Goel ................................................................... 103 Shweta Jahagirdar .......................................................... 126
Hem Shruti Bhardwaj......................................................104 Sindhu Gangadharan....................................................... 127
Kakul Paul....................................................................... 105 Somdutta Sinha, PhD ..................................................... 128
Lipika Sahoo, PhD............................................................ 106 Subha Tatavarti................................................................ 129
Meenakshi Malik, PhD.................................................... 107 Suma MN, PhD................................................................ 130
Monica Joseph................................................................ 108 Suneela Thatte ................................................................ 131
Monideepa Mukherjee, PhD........................................... 109 Dr Swati Piramal.............................................................. 132
Mridula Prakash.............................................................. 110 Usha Barwale Zehr, PhD.................................................. 133
Dr Pooja Mukul................................................................ 111 Veena Panicker, PhD ....................................................... 134
Pradnya Desai.................................................................. 112 Vidya Shivashankar, PhD................................................. 135
Pranati Sahoo, PhD ......................................................... 113 Vinnie Jauhari, PhD......................................................... 136
Preeti Menon................................................................... 114 Yogmaya Verma, PhD...................................................... 137
INNOVATION CONTENT & MARKETING
ENTREPRENEURS PARTNER
Akshita Sachdeva............................................................ 140 Vivify Media Pvt. Ltd.
Anuya Nisal, PhD............................................................. 141
Aparna Saroagi................................................................ 142 Office:
Ezhil Subbian, PhD.......................................................... 143 New Delhi, India
Jugnu Jain, PhD.............................................................. 144 Website: www.vivifymedia.in
Kavitha Iyer Rodrigues.................................................... 145 Email: [email protected]
Kavitha Sairam, PhD........................................................ 146
Rachna Dave, PhD............................................................ 147 11
Renuka Karandikar, PhD.................................................. 148
Ritu Malhotra................................................................... 149
Sanskriti Dawle................................................................ 150
Sudha S Narayana Rao, PhD............................................ 151
Tripti Bhatnagar, PhD....................................................... 152
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75
ACK NOW LEDGEMEN TS
The CII compendium on Women in STEM is an acknowledgement, in itself, of the great contribution which
the fraternity of women scientists and professionals are making towards the understanding, development of
expertise and growth of the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. This compendium is
a part of various initiatives taken by the Confederation of Indian Industry to enable and enhance participation of
women in these areas. In this section, the CII would like to enlist and acknowledge its patrons, guides and other
key partners, who played an instrumental role and helped in making of this compendium. It is indeed through
the guidance and support of these patrons and guides that this work of compendium has taken its final shape.
CII is grateful to the various ministries and departments of the Government of India for their constant support
and guidance. We would like to specifically thank the Department of Science and Technology, Government of
India, and the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India for their vision, consistent
guidance and encouraging support. We would also like to thank the Technology Information Forecasting and
Assessment Council; the Department of Biotechnology; the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)
and likewise many other departments and ministerial offices for their guidance towards this initiative.
CII is also grateful for the support of several technology experts from academic and research institutions across
India for their immense contribution. The prompt responses and detailed inputs from them have greatly enriched
the contents of the compendium.
CII would also like to thank its member organisations and establishments, start-up founders and institutions that
have provided relevant insights and details without which this compendium wouldn’t have been possible.
Women in STEM is one of the key goals of the CII National Mission on Technology, Innovation and Research.
The mission envisages to enable India take strategic initiatives towards technology leadership. We would also
like to acknowledge and thank the guidance and support of Mr Vipin Sondhi, Chairman, CII National Mission on
Technology, Innovation and Research and Mr Alok Nanda, Co-Chairman, CII Mission on Technology, Innovation
and Research, for their persistent leadership and guidance on this initiative. Valuable inputs were provided
by the members of that Mission throughout the process. We acknowledge the global industry leaders and
members of the CII National Committee on Technology, R&D and Innovation for having shared their thoughts
and providing their viewpoints.
We would like to thank our Content & Marketing partner, Vivify Media Pvt. Ltd., for its resolute efforts in research,
content development and marketing support. The company is led by Mr Vivek Verma, Founder-Director, and
his team, including Editor Mr Dipesh Kumar Satapathy; Issue Editor Ms Adita Joshi, PhD; Research and Content
Executive Ms Kavya Noble; Designer Mr Surendra Gupta and the Book Logo Designer Ms Palak Agarwal.
The CII compendium has taken its final shape, also because a very strong synergy among various departments
and CoEs within CII. Thus, a very insightful and detailed database was created by the CII Technology team
through interactions with the CII Foundation, India@75 and the CII Indian Women Network (IWN). The task of
synthesising the information, scientific research, data analytics and inter departmental efforts for knowledge
generation were led by the CII Technology in synergy with CII IWN. These efforts, combined with the vision of
the leadership of CII National Mission on Technology, Innovation and Research, were instrumental in bringing
out this CII compendium acknowledging women scientists, professionals and experts in the field of Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Indeed, this Women in STEM compendium requires a special mention to all the women in STEM pioneers who
are the key pillars in building and shaping up the technology leadership of the nation and humanity at large.
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 12
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is a celebration of India’s socio-cultural, political and economic success. It aims to
recognise the people of India who have been instrumental in India’s growth and have the power and potential
of taking it to newer heights. On the same lines, we see that India’s Science, Technology, Engineering,
Mathematics (STEM) scenario has hugely transformed after independence. Both men and women S&T
professionals have contributed to the making of the self-reliant India. However, the socio-cultural set up,
gender bias and related stereotypes have restrained gender equality in STEM. India has 43 per cent women
STEM graduates, but only 14 per cent are recruited in the workforce. Although considerable efforts have
been made to increase the visibility of women in STEM, we are still lagging behind in embracing the tenets
of inclusion and diversity.
As we stand to open the celebration gates for the 75th year of our independence, we realise there are a
few doors still waiting to be unlocked, such as bringing equal representation of women in STEM workforce.
Towards this cause, CII pledges to launch ‘Women in STEM’ as a movement across the nation and the globe, as
one of the key goals of the CII National Mission on Technology, Innovation and Research. This compendium,
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75, is a symbolic representation of CII’s vision for gender equality.
The compendium seeks to compile a representative list of 125 successful women, including academicians and
researchers, administrators and policymakers, business innovation strategists and innovation entrepreneurs.
The compendium tries to cover representation from diverse disciplines like physics, chemistry, biology,
earth sciences, interdisciplinary sciences, mathematics, engineering, information technology and medicine
amongst others.
The compendium has four sections. The first section features some women administrators and policymakers
in the higher echelons of decision-making, policy and implementation. The second section features women
in academia and research institutions. The third section covers women from industry at various levels, from
leadership to mid-career accolades. The fourth section features innovation entrepreneurs. The success
stories that have emerged as role models have broken the myths that certain careers are not meant for
women.
The understanding and reflections that have emerged out of this compendium have highlighted a few
important action points needed to achieve gender balance and equality in STEM, such as creating a strong
mentoring ecosystem for young girls in school and young women researchers in academia and industry;
ensuring childcare facilities, flexible working hours and pay parity for making workspaces more enabling; and
age relaxation in hiring and consideration for awards and recognition.
While some women have admitted not encountering any gender-related obstacles, others mentioned about
the gender barriers that they faced and propose a change in the mindset towards how society perceives the
worth of women in terms of what they must do in their personal and professional lives.
The efforts of organisations and the government in promoting ‘Women in STEM’ with diversity and inclusion
were acknowledged by many women. However, we need to keep progressing and making concerted efforts
towards achieving gender equality, doing away with the concept of ‘gendered science’.
This compendium is the first edition, and henceforth, will be an annual feature going forward. CII wishes to
keep the momentum going and celebrating the spirit of women achievers as they continue to emerge strong
and contribute in the S&T domain.
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 13
Administrators and
Policymakers
Anasuya Lahiry Bhadalkar, PhD
Joint Director, Human Resource Development
Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission (GSBTM), DST, Govt. of Gujarat
Anasuya Lahiri Bhadalkar is a science administrator contributing to
human resource development for the biotechnology sector with the
aim to benefit teachers and students of different strata of Gujarat.
Ibelong to a Hindu Bengali family My decision to join government service it happens. Just continue to focus your
residing in Vadodara, Gujarat. My was the biggest step toward profes- efforts towards the goal.
father shifted his base to Gujarat sional growth. Having completed my
from West Bengal. The mix of culture academic career in the state, I felt that I am also the coordinator for the PG
from Bengal and Gujarat offered me there are certain points in a student’s Diploma in Biotechnology, Law and
the opportunity to think differently and career where training and orienta- Public Policy course in collabora-
make the best of my abilities. I grew up tion play an important role in molding tion with the Gujarat National Law
with an inherent interest in biological their future. This thought lay dormant University.
sciences. for many years, till GSBTM happened
to me. The professional system where Always wisely choose your career.
The world of medicines and disease I have worked has been very support- Your career choice might need you to
treatment was something that inter- ive and warm in accepting a female develop new skillsets. If you are a per-
ested me in a deep way. Microbiology employee. Whether juniors or seniors, son who is ready to learn for the rest
and biotechnology seemed like an the barriers were not felt, or better so, of your life and wishes to contribute
exact fit for this interest. The college were never there. to the betterment of the stakeholders
where I pursued my graduation kin- of any sector, only then, you are fit for
dled my interests and made it clear to Every work has a time, science administration. The vision of
me that this field of study will indeed and the time comes, it happens. ’Women having Careers’’ is also evolv-
take me to the point where it would ing, very much like human evolution.
be easier to see the other side of Just continue to focus your It will certainly take time.
medical treatments, i.e., the discov- efforts towards the goal.
ery of new molecules and healthcare. The government has always done a lot
Going further, my association with the I lead the work under human resource
Marine Bioresource Centre showed development for the biotechnology of work towards this, by emphasising
me the bounty of nature and the sector. The schemes that are designed
diversity of new molecules that can for this sector are to benefit the teach- maintaining the boy:girl ratio in child-
be studied for different purposes. So ers and students of different strata,
in a nutshell, I believe that nature has of the state. Leadership roles are births, girl-child health, girl-child edu-
always inspired and led me to study indeed a challenge. Having a group of
this area. young minds, younger than you, work- cation and reserving seats for women
ing under you, with their ambitions, it
Always wisely choose your is always challenging to bridge their for employment. In the private sector,
career. Your career choice might ambition to the needs of the sector.
need you to develop new skillsets. However, in the course of this journey, the reflection of society continues,
I have realised that giving opportuni-
At times, sleeping over your big- ties to your younger colleagues, and where discrimination in the workplace
gest issues helps in better resolu- working with consensus always leads
tion and effective output. to harmony and higher work efficiency. is felt at times. The change for support-
To ensure this harmony, it is always
Giving opportunities to your important to disconnect yourself from ing women in professional, domestic
younger colleagues always leads your work, for a bit. At times, sleeping
to harmony and higher work over your biggest issues helps in better and social spheres has to start at a per-
efficiency. resolution and effective output. Every
work has a time, and as the time comes, sonal level and reflect collectively as
a society.
Academic Profile
BSc, NV Patel Science College,
Vallabh Vidyanagar
MSc, M S University, Vadodara
PhD, Marine Bioresource Centre,
Jamnagar & Hemchandracharya
North Gujarat University, Patan
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 16
Jancy Ayyaswamy
Scientist-F, Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment
Council (TIFAC)
Jancy Ayyaswamy is a scientist with extensive experience in technology foresight
in materials, technology needs assessment in climate change and forecasting of
advanced technologies. She has worked on key projects dealing in translation of
technologies for real-life applications.
Iwas born in Vellore and did my school- projects and training programmes. In forthright. The sky is the limit once you
ing from Don Bosco Matriculation addition, I owe my professional success decide to take life head-on.
School, Chennai. S&T has always to my spouse and kids.
been my passion since childhood. My Trained researchers in the field of new
parents were my moral support, espe- Born with infinite strength material design are always in constant
cially my late father. They sacrificed a compared to men, women should demand in several industries. Both
lot without bothering about financial soft skills and hard skills are required
difficulties and that inspired me to focus stay strong and forthright. in future industry domains. Knowledge
on my studies. of modeling and upcoming trends like
I have worked on foresight reports on miniaturisation, resource use optimisa-
One of my best friends in college instilled emerging technologies in new materi- tion, recycling, etc. would increase the
strength in me to take life head-on and als and advanced manufacturing tech- scope of placements in my field.
not be swayed by gender bias at any nologies. I am an active member of the
point in my life. My uncle inspired me to Global Technology Watch Group, tar- Graduate students of STEM do not
select metallurgy as a career option. geted in collating green technologies in acquire the necessary skills, such as
key sectors, especially in manufacturing. fluency in cognitive skills, critical think-
The founding and executive director I am also a member of the core team for ing, resolution of complex and creative
of TIFAC, YS Rajan, PhD, and senior drafting the ‘Policy on Scientific Social problems, and quick adaptability, which
colleague D Bhatnagar mentored me Responsibility’, a novel policy to aug- future jobs will demand. These aspects
when I joined the organisation in 1997. ment the science-society connect. have to be built into the courses. The
The projects on international coopera- issue of disproportionate participation
tion with ASEAN at TIFAC exposed me Initially, I experienced a couple of in STEM jobs based on gender, race
to international trends and technology uncomfortable situations due to indi- and low-income population also needs
forecasting. Prof. Anand Patwardhan viduals from other organisations during to be tackled.
and Prof. Prabhat Ranjan, both for- travel that I managed to avoid tactfully.
mer TIFAC executive directors (EDs), My advice is to ensure that your work- Timely intervention at the school level
encouraged me to focus on innovation place is a peaceful one, and transform can lead to the mitigation of gender
policy, support mechanisms and tech- it into your learning platform. At the imbalance. More girls should be encour-
nology foresight initiatives in materials same time, you need to know when and aged to participate in competitions and
and manufacturing. where to discreetly draw the line. Olympiads. National R&D institutions
and science academies should mentor
Current ED Prof. Pradeep Srivastava I am now working on advanced technol- and showcase work done by women sci-
has offered me an excellent platform to ogy interventions in agriculture, espe- entists to encourage others. Improved
work and study emerging technologies cially for apple growers and saffron work culture needs to be ensured to
of interdisciplinary nature. My senior farmers, semiconductors and energy have gender sensitivity and effective
colleague G Goswami, PhD, always storage. I have worked on key projects addressing of harassment issues.
encouraged me while working on the dealing with the translation of technol-
‘Technology Vision 2035’ document, ogies for real-life applications and on Academic Profile
technology roadmaps, climate change a mission mode programme for indus-
try-academia collaboration. I played a BE Metallurgy, PSG College of
The sky is the limit once you key role in setting up centres of rele- Technology, Coimbatore
decide to take life head-on. vance and excellence across India for
higher technical education. Membership
Timely intervention, at the school
level can mitigate gender imbalance. Born with infinite strength compared Expert Assessment Committee,
to men, women should stay strong and AICTE
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 17
Pranati Das, PhD
Programme Lead, TB Programme Team
Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)
Pranati Das has over 15 years of experience in the development sector in the
health and disease field. She is currently leading her team across 11 states in India,
implementing a project on the roll-out of preventive treatment for tuberculosis (TB).
Iwas born and brought up in Patna. My major contributions include the So be well prepared for the stream
My biggest source of inspiration has work towards registration and main- you aspire to take up. Maintain good
been my mother. She is the pillar of streaming of a new drug for kala azar, public relations and professional
my strength, who always insisted on demonstrating models for engage- networks. Being well-read and main-
self-belief, hard work and persever- ment of the private healthcare sec- taining sincerity and integrity in work
ance. I also draw energy and inspira- tor under the national TB elimination would certainly take you places.
tion from my colleagues and seniors. programme and supporting sustain- Always believe in yourself and your
Right from my school days, I had been able integration of the same with the aspirations, even in the face of com-
interested and intrigued by science health system. plex situations. Know your worth.
and took up biology and biotechnol- Strive conscientiously towards a good
ogy in pursuit of contributing to the A true measure of success is work-life balance.
healthcare sector. Throughout these the number of faces that smile
years, I have had two major forces at the mention of your name. I feel teaching STEM should be more
helping to keep my back straight and
head up, even in challenging times-the I have demonstrated viable models practical rather than theoretical
beneficiaries that our projects sup- for strengthening communication and
port (meeting patients who are heal- implementation of adolescent health right from the middle school level.
ing, who have benefitted in some way and hygiene and family planning pro-
and meet us with gratitude) and the grammes. Over the last 15 years of There has been a good change over
teammates and juniors who acknowl- work in the development sector, I
edge enhancement in their profes- have had the opportunity of working the last couple of decades, but there
sional skills and capacities while with multiple organisations in various
working in my team. I read somewhere mid-to-senior management positions, is still a lot of room for the incorpora-
that a true measure of success is the contributing to varied healthcare
number of faces that smile at the men- programmes (TB, kala azar, diar- tion of teaching based on activities,
tion of your name; I strive to achieve rhoea, maternal, adolescent and child
success that way. health) across Southeast Asia (India, demonstration, application, trou-
Bangladesh, Nepal). I have had the
My work includes ideation, concep- opportunity of working on some pio- bleshooting and problemsolving-of
tualisation, planning, implementation, neering projects, results and learnings
management, monitoring and qual- that helped shape national guidelines the underlying theoretical details.
ity control of public health projects. and policies.
Young students should also get visi-
Always believe in yourself and Being a married woman and a mother,
your aspirations, even in the face balancing work and family life (espe- bility and access to details about the
of complex situations. cially when work demands travel) was
something that required constant multitude of career options in STEM.
Maintain good public relations thinking, planning and prioritisation.
and professional networks. I feel it is still a wee bit more diffi- Promotion of work-family balance,
cult for women in our society to keep
Be well-read and maintain sincer- up with the demands of post-office- equal sharing of care responsibili-
ity and integrity in work. hours and informal gatherings that
often have an implicit work-related ties and achievement of pay parity
Strive conscientiously towards agenda.
a good work-life balance. (equal pay for work of equal value)
are some of the things to be done at
the policy level by the government
to attract more women into STEM
careers.
Academic Profile
MSc & PhD Biotechnology,
University of Allahabad
PG Diploma in Business
Administration, Symbiosis, Pune
Fellowships
CSIR-JRF/SRF scholarship,
University of Allahabad
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 18
Pratibha Jolly, PhD
Academic Consultant, National Assessment and Accreditation Council
Principal Investigator, DST-Gender Advancement
for Transforming Institutions (GATI)
Former Principal, Miranda House, University of Delhi
Pratibha Jolly is an internationally-renowned pioneer in physics education. She is leading
Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI), a project of the Department
of Science and Technology (DST) aimed at advancing gender equity in STEM disciplines
in institutes of higher education and research.
From an early age, I had wide-rang- innovate and experiment. This experi- up the ladder, but building communities
ing interests. I played basketball ence gave me a mission in life. ground upwards and empowering oth-
(state level) in school, loved to ers to shatter the ceiling.
paint, enjoyed discovering interesting Women have to be ready
books on the library shelves and spend- to pursue non-linear paths Despite myriad schemes launched to
ing endless hours reading or writing. My when new opportunities beckon. facilitate women in science, the needle
science teachers saw my potential and has not moved. GATI shifts the focus
began setting academic challenges that My interests veered towards research to the institution as a community and
were far beyond the curriculum. Lady on physics education and several pio- a self-learning organisation, nudging it
Irwin School in Delhi held special sum- neering research projects led to ped- towards supporting diversity, inclusion
mer camps to hone talent in science. The agogical innovation, development of and gather the full spectrum of talent
annual science fairs gave an opportunity educational resource materials, inte- for success and progression of all.
to showcase our projects and interact grating computer-based technologies
with scientists. That experience set the much before these became ubiquitous. The science classroom has not kept
path for my career in science. My teach- Ultimately, the multifaceted work led to
ers and family inculcated a strong sense establishment of the D S Kothari Centre pace with the rapid changes in the dis-
of self belief in me and the capacity to for Research and Innovation in Science
pursue interests with great passion. Education at Miranda House. cipline. Students are fascinated by the
When I began teaching physics at I took the path less taken when I quit technological innovations and want to
Miranda House, I disliked the cook- my permanent faculty position at the
book approach to the laboratory work college to take on a contractual position participate in solving real-world prob-
that taught students neither the skill as research scientist at the university,
of experimentation nor the science as the position came with grants that lems. Teaching-learning of science has to
behind it. This is when I said to myself: helped me to scale-up my research. At
if you don’t like something, you have got that time, I was laser focused and never be hands-on and minds on. This entails
to do something about it. With financial stopped to ponder if the resistance
support from DST, I launched a unique I faced had anything to do with gender. integrating problem solving and proj-
program called ‘Learning Through In hind sight, I think differently. I see
Investigative Projects’ to offer under- clearly what needs to be done is to pro- ect-based teaching-learning. We need to
graduate students a flavour of collab- vide women in science a level-playing
orative research, access to resources field. This insight has helped me develop weave in enterprise education. Faculty
and a lab of their own where they could the gender equity framework for GATI.
members have to become life-long
The new age women are aspira- Women in particular have to be ready
tional and have the skills needed to pursue non-linear paths when new learners. They need to reskill, upskill and
to succeed in their unique careers. opportunities beckon. I was initially hes-
itant when I was nudged to apply for the develop new competencies.
We need to weave in enterprise post of principal, but took the plunge.
education. Academic Profile
New-age women are aspirational and
Faculty members have to become have the skills needed to succeed. They BSc & MSc Physics, Miranda House,
lifelong learners. They need to are willing to challenge the status quo. University of Delhi (DU)
reskill, upskill and develop new Leadership is not just about stepping
competencies. PhD in Theoretical Chemical Physics,
DU
Awards & Fellowships
IUPAP-ICPE Medal, 2019, for
contribution to physics education
Australian Leadership Award Fellow,
2013
Fulbright New Century Scholar
Award, 2009-2010
American Physical Society Kilambi
Ramavataram Fellowship, 1994-95
Commonwealth Academic Staff
Fellowship 1986-87
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 19
Dr Priya Abraham
Director, ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune
Former Professor, Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore
Former HoD & Deputy Director, CMC Hospital
Dr Priya Abraham is a famed virologist who was at the helm
of activities pertaining to SARS-CoV2 research, diagnostics
development and variant identification.
Iwas born in Pallom in Kerala’s Soon after taking over as NIV Director, good team players and be ready to give
Kottayam district, was brought up I had to lead the institute on several others credit when due.
and schooled in Visakhapatnam. I fronts during the pandemic. We were
spent several years of my professional able to report many ‘firsts’ in the coun- Choose good mentors to discuss sci-
life in Vellore, where I worked at CMC try–the first cases of SARS-Cov-2 in ence, take their guidance for making
in both academic and administrative India; the first electron micrograph; professional decisions.
capacities. the first whole genome sequences;
the first virus isolation; the first indig- The government and private sector
I was inspired the most to choose this enous ELISA; and the first indigenous should offer more Early Career Women
as a career option by my teachers in vaccine in partnership with Bharat fellowships. Research institutes must
the medical school. The combination Biotech International Limited. We also support young women scientists who
of clinical training along with training submitted two patents for SARS-CoV-2 are delicately balancing their work and
in laboratory medicine that I received detection assays and identified several family life.
has proved quite useful in the last two- variants of concern in India. Towards
and-a-half years during the COVID-19 outreach, I delivered a TEDx talk and STEM careers are connected to STEM
pandemic. The training in CMC was I spoke on the ‘Infodemic within the
so well-rounded that I discovered that Pandemic’. I have been nominated for education. In a country like India, the
I could gain recognition for my work Indian National Science Academy and
even abroad. the National Academy of Sciences. choice to pursue STEM is made in the
Vogue India, Forbes India W-Power List
I have contributed to the use of hep- and UNESCO’s publication A Braided high school. Hence, young minds need
atitis vaccines in high-risk and special River—The Universe of Indian Women
patient groups and the molecular epi- in Science, 2022, featured me for my to be inspired to see the translational
demiology of hepatitis B, hepatitis C work in virology.
viruses and human papillomavirus virus impact of STEM even as early as middle
in India. I have also helped establish Sometimes, women are labeled
sound screening and monitoring tools aggressive if they are focused on school. Field visits and interacting with
for patients infected with these viruses.
I had steered the clinical virology their professional work. inspirational teachers will certainly draw
department to becoming the first virol-
ogy laboratory in India accredited by All this good work and its recognition them to STEM. Small group discussions
the National Accreditation Board for would not have been possible if I was not
Testing and Calibration Laboratories. so serious or ‘aggressive’ regarding my and having dedicated mentors are ways
work. Women have to face tough expe-
Every woman should strive for riences, barriers or gender biases in dif- in which students stay focussed and
excellence in her professional ferent forms that are at times obvious or
sphere. otherwise subtle gestures and remarks inspired to give their best in the field.
that can be easily overlooked or are
Be a good team player and be often normalised. I find that sometimes, Interactive rather than didactic teach-
ready to give others credit when women are labeled aggressive if they are
due. focused on their professional work. ing is a must.
Young minds need to be inspired However, every woman should strive Academic Profile
to see the translational impact of for excellence in her professional
STEM. sphere—we should not be distracted MBBS, CMC Vellore & Madras
by our detractors. Yet, we should be University, Chennai
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75
MD, & PhD, CMC Vellore & Dr MGR
Medical University, Chennai
Awards & Fellowships
Fellow of Royal College of Pathologists
& Royal College of Physicians, London
JC Bose Award by Indian Science
Monitor
Public Relations Society of India
National Award, 2021, Pride of India
Award for Brave Corona Fight
Business Today’s Most Powerful
Women Award
20
Renu Swarup, PhD
Former Secretary, Department of Biotechnology
Former Chairperson, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council
(BIRAC)
Renu Swarup is a science administration and policy expert and has actively engaged in
the formulation of India’s National Biotechnology Vision and Strategy. More recently,
she led the COVID Vaccine, Diagnostic and Genome sequencing Mission.
Ibelieve though everyone opts for a I chose the second option thinking I was fortunate enough to be selected
specific discipline to pursue as for- that it would give me an opportunity as one the first science managers at
mal education, the important part to view S&T on a wider landscape. DBT and joined the same in 1989.
is how one resolves to use her educa- I understood that crafting my career I learned the nuances of science
tion, interest and skills, and decides her in science management will allow me administration under the mentor-
profession. to contribute and use my scientific ship of S Ramachandran, PhD, former
skills towards a larger planning pro- DBT Secretary and later with Manju
Like most people in research, I joined cess and strategise newer activities Sharma, PhD, the first woman secre-
the Forest Research Institute (FRI), for science. tary of DBT.
Dehradun, for PhD and later did my
post-doctoral research at The John Never look for short-cuts just While mentors and seniors played an
Innes Centre, Norwich, UK, as a because you are a woman. anchoring role, the most important
Commonwealth Fellow. was my desire to become a part of
Continue to work hard, harder larger planning and policy that always
I had a crystal-clear resolve to come and the hardest. made me push my boundaries. There
back to my country after complet- are many anecdotal experiences
ing my research abroad. Upon my My parents played an important role that prompted me to take interesting
return, I had considered two options— in shaping my personality, thought decisions.
either to pursue academics, i.e., sci- process and individuality. We were
entific research, or take up science three sisters and my parents gave us I met TN Khushu, PhD, Director of the
administration. freedom to be able to take forward National Botanical Research Institute
our interests and academic pursuits. (NBRI) in Lucknow with a question
‘Women in science’ is both a They did not condition us by the rules on whether to join a PhD course at
cause and a need that should be of the society, but rather nurtured us NBRI and stay in Lucknow or move to
institutionalised and sustained. to develop a holistic personality—unre- Dehradun, the new place of my father’s
stricted, original and free for thought posting. Khoshu, a champion for for-
I faced challenges while working, and action. estry, suggested that I join FRI and his
but never looked at myself as a argument was that forestry needs good
woman facing those trials. The If I have to talk about my mentors, as students as well.
very nature of these challenges is a student I was fascinated with Prof.
professional and is equal for both AK Sharma’s work in genetics. Another Ironically, when I joined DBT, Khoshoo
men and women. iconic geneticist whose work inspired had become Secretary in the
me was Prof. MS Swaminathan. That is Department of Environment and also
Challenges for professional how my interest in genetics developed, the chairman of DBT Task Force on
women are more because of soci- and I chose to pursue my PhD in genet- Forestry and Biomass, of which I was
etal and cultural issues. ics and plant breeding. the member secretary and we worked
together. Thus, certain fortunate deci-
I got opportunities to take up Getting into the right position at the sions can sometimes take people for-
decent work not based on gender, right time is crucial. After that, as ward in a long way.
but rather my merit. soon as your seniors and colleagues’
spot your keen desire to bring a posi- Another incident pertains to VL
Research administration must tive change to the work that you do, Chopra, PhD, another famed geneti-
not be treated as a career different the mentoring and support comes cist who was the jury of the selection
from research. automatically. committee for the Commonwealth
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 22
Fellowship. During my interview, he I faced a lot of challenges while work- It is with larger numbers that we can
made a quick comment saying if I got ing, but never looked at myself as a push women into leadership roles and
the fellowship, he might never see me woman facing those trials. The very increase their participation and visibil-
again in the country. nature of these challenges is profes- ity across key decision-making bodies
sional and is equal for both men and at multiple levels.
When I was at DBT, Prof. Chopra was women. Challenges for professional
Director General, Indian Council of women are more because of societal ‘Women in science’ is both a cause and
Agricultural Research (ICAR), and we and cultural issues. a need that should be institutionalised
worked closely to create the agricul- and sustained.
ture research ecosystem that he had As a professional, I always felt at
envisioned. I reminded him of my prom- par with my male colleagues and got Let’s not put gender to career, and
ise of coming back to serve the country. opportunities to take up decent work
not based on gender, but rather my allow our young girls the choice to
So it was always encouragement of the merit. I have always taken any difficulty
seniors that helped me decide upon as learning to figure out how to rectify choose a discipline that they will truly
crucial questions or guided me towards or manage, and then move forward
doing good work for the country. with greater speed and vigour. thrive upon. It is high time that we
As a member of the Task Force on I credit this to my father, a defence offi- cease celebrating this as a one-day
Women in Science constituted by cer, who instilled this conviction in us
the Scientific Advisory Committee to that nothing is impossible, everything women’s event.
the Prime Minister, I could contribute can be figured out; the only solution
to some important programmes for is hard work. I followed this mantra Academic Profile
women in science research. throughout my career and still continue
to do so. BSc, IT College, Lucknow
As the Secretary, I led a network of
16 autonomous research institutes, two I would advise women to have a lot of MSc Botany, Lucknow University
public sector undertakings and a R&D confidence and recognise their inher-
network of more than 5,000 projects ent strengths and abilities. Never PhD in Genetics & Plant Breeding,
across over 100 research institutes, look for short-cuts just because you Forest Research Institute, Dehradun
universities and laboratories. are a woman. Continue to work hard,
harder and the hardest, as this is what Awards
The most exciting was setting up a new will pay you in the long run. Women
organisation, Biotechnology Industry who wish to be in research adminis- Smt. Chandaben Mohanbhai Patel
Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), tration must not treat it as a career VASVIK Award for Women Scientific
for fostering entrepreneurship that has different from research. & Chemical Science & Technology,
supported more than 5,000 start-ups 2020-21
and over 75 incubators. To be a successful research admin-
istrator, one must have an in-depth Life Time Achievement Award
Being in science administration, there- understanding of science, research for Biotech Policy maker, 2021
fore, allowed me to overcome the and its applications. If you have it, by Golden Jubilee Women
restrictions of being in domain-centric you can play an important role in Biotech Park
applications. It gave me such a wide becoming an enabler and facilitator
coverage—starting off with agriculture in shaping programmes and activities TWAS Regional Office Prize on
and forestry to being at the helm of the nationally and internationally. Science Diplomacy, 2018
fight against COVID-19 and steering the
pharma sector, I have seen and done it For promoting women in STEM, I think TiE Women Enabler Award, 2018
all in my career spanning 33 years. the programmes and initiatives started
by the government are largely in place. National Entrepreneurship Award,
I have also held additional charge What we need to do is increase the 2017
of Secretary in the Department of number of women in STEM and steer
Science and Technology (DST). leadership development. BioSpectrum Person of the Year
Award, 2012
Fellowship &
Memberships
National Academy of Sciences
Life Member of Trust for
Advancement of Agricultural
Sciences
Member of Organisation for
Women in Science for the
Developing World
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 23
Savita Ayyar, PhD
Founder, Jaquaranda Tree
Lead, India Research Management Initiative, DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance
Savita Ayyar is an independent consultant and provides services for supporting
organisations with their research management needs. Her aim is to raise awareness,
build capacity and nurture a community for research management in India.
Iwas born in Mumbai and spent my National Centre for Biological Sciences Women who aspire to be leaders must
childhood in different parts of India, (NCBS), Bengaluru. RDO was cre- learn to genuinely care for all your
including New Delhi, Bihar, Gujarat and ated for fundraising and award man- stakeholders. Be inclusive of their views
Assam. I was drawn to science from my agement. It was the first of its kind and focus on co-creation as that brings
school days and had exceptional teach- in India. Former NCBS director K in lasting value. Dare to be original in
ers at school and undergraduate levels Vijayraghavan, PhD, and NCBS director your thinking. As a leader, allow your-
who motivated me to pursue scientific Satyajit Mayor, PhD, played an import- self to be as ambitious and creative as
research as a career. My family has been ant role in shaping my career. I applied it takes. Be a constant learner and be
my constant support and has consistently all lessons on research funding learnt at open to new ways of thinking. Network
encouraged me to follow my dreams, rel- the Wellcome Trust to support NCBS and interact with a wide range of pro-
ish adventure, rise above constraints and researchers seeking funding. fessionals. Finally, find your own style of
work hard to realise my ideas. leadership, one that works for you.
In 2017, I moved on from NCBS and set up
Robert White, PhD, my doctoral research Jaquaranda Tree. Kannan Viswanathan, There are several new kinds of
supervisor at Cambridge, shaped my a close friend, mentored me during the research-related roles emerging in
ability to ask the right questions, plan early stages. Shahid Jameel, PhD, for- India. It is worthwhile to consider your
and perform experiments, analyse mer CEO of the DBT/Wellcome Trust unique strengths and interests and
results and draw conclusions —skills that India Alliance, motivated me to contrib- identify areas that you might wish to
are a must in a researcher. During later ute my bit towards developing research contribute towards in a professional
years of my PhD, I learnt about the other management in India. capacity. Talking to practitioners in dif-
major aspect of building successful ferent STEM fields will help you assess
research programmes—research man- Talking to practitioners in whether you might be a good fit for cer-
agement. Research managers run and different STEM fields will help tain jobs. Seeking internships with organ-
ensure success of quality research. you assess whether you might be isations undertaking research-related
services may help you explore this field
Thus in 2007, I decided to join the a good fit for certain jobs. and make informed decisions.
Wellcome Trust, UK, as a Grants
Advisor, facilitating funding for research I now work as an independent con- The government and institutions can
programmes in the United Kingdom and sultant on behalf of academic institu-
globally. My mentors there in London tions, funders and other stakeholders work together to make the work environ-
taught me about research management, on research management challenges.
team work and process development I work on behalf of the DBT/WT India ment safe and ensure a level-playing field
for the benefit of the scientific com- Alliance to lead the India Research
munity. Lorraine Monteiro, PhD, was an Management Initiative, aimed at build- where merit shines. For STEM education,
exceptional line manager to me. ing capacity for research management
and creating a community of practice of we need more initiatives to instill the joy
In 2010, I relocated to India to build research managers.
the activities of a new Research of doing science and of research as a
Development Office (RDO) at the I did not face any exceptional challenges
owing to my gender. As women tradi- career among students. Implementation
Find your own style of leader- tionally share the most burden of family
ship, one that works for you. care, they need enabling environments of the New Education Policy 2020 offers
on the home as well as work fronts to
Women need enabling environ- build successful careers. Families and an excellent framework for making STEM
ments both at home and workplace. institutions can help by changing mind-
sets and putting processes in place to education inclusive of other fields like
Be inclusive of stakeholders’ views ensure women participate fully in the
and focus on co-creation. workforce. the arts and humanities, and encourages
creativity.
Academic Profile
BSc Biochemistry, University of Delhi
MSc Biotechnology, All India Institute
of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
PhD, University of Cambridge, UK
Post-doctoral research in
Neurobiology, Cambridge
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 24
Shanta Thoutam, PhD
Chief Innovation Officer, Government of Telangana
Shanta Thoutam is an expert in innovation and entrepreneurship
and is Telangana state’s first woman chief innovation officer.
Self-motivation is one of the virtues of Telangana minister KT Rama Rao to the challenges. Trust your inner voice
I have always believed in. While build the state as a start-up state and to defeat barriers and ensure you are
working on my PhD dissertation as Hyderabad as the start-up destina- recognised as a value-adding knowl-
an engineer, I aspired to become an all- tion of the world. I took the job of vice edge worker. Whatever the work is,
round professional and picked myself president, corporate innovation & busi- pay attention to details and do a world-
up to volunteer at the Arrowhead ness development, with his brainchild class job. Carry yourself well, display-
Center, the primary economic devel- T-Hub and relocated to serve in various ing accountability to be considered an
opment arm of New Mexico State capacities under his leadership. Within approachable and go-to-person in the
University (NMSU), in various capaci- 2.5 years at T-Hub, I spearheaded over ecosystem.
ties, including technology commercial- 25 open innovation programmes that
isation associate, commercialisation had more than 170 start-ups graduate The need of the hour is to catch girls
analyst and director of launch compe- with nearly $130 million worth funds from school age for encouraging STEM
tition. I played a key role in bridging the raised cumulatively. Seven of those learning, launch initiatives focusing
gap between NMSU and the market stert-ups got acquired. on providing special fellowships for
by advancing technologies emerging post-graduate and advanced degree
from campus to business development I prefer not to give myself holder women to continue in STEM,
settings. For the summers of 2015 and ‘I am a woman’ reservation while include subject matter expert women
2016, as the Programme Director of I sit at the table as a contributor in the academy and government deci-
StartFast Venture Accelerator, upstate sion-making bodies, and promote
New York’s top accelerator programme, and raise my hand ensuring late-career lateral entries.
I helped ten start-ups raise more than my voice is heard.
$2 million. STEM learning is the most effective
As an officer on special duty, tex-
This is when I found my calling in inno- tiles and handicrafts, government of when students think outside the box
vation and entrepreneurship to further Telangana, I played a key role in help-
explore career opportunities. For inspi- ing Kerala-based Kitex Group, the and become problem solvers. We need
ration, I certainly look up to Indra Nooyi world’s second largest manufacturer of
as a tall leader who carved a niche for kid apparel, invest `3,200 crore in the STEM learning to begin with identifying
herself in the global setting. state. As a woman thought leader, I pre-
side over several advisory committees grassroots challenges, proposing viable
When I started volunteering at the and panels that deal with innovation
Arrowhead Center, my supervisors and entrepreneurship. solutions, building prototypes and pilot-
assessed my professional demeanour
coupled with structured thinking and For scaling heights in professional life, ing them in rural settings. Furthermore,
gave me enough leeway to spearhead women have to overcome not only insti-
multiple initiatives and prove myself. In tutional but also internal barriers. Sure, we have to empower both teachers and
2016, I was inspired to hear the vision I did encounter some barriers that I
turned into opportunities to assess my students to develop analytical and crit-
Trust your inner voice to defeat strength and grow stronger. Looking
barriers. back, I don’t find them as tough expe- ical thinking, peer-to-peer learning, cre-
riences to mention. As a person with
Ensure you are recognised as a integrity, I prefer not to give myself ‘‘I ativity and collaboration.
value-adding knowledge worker. am a woman’ reservation while I sit at
the table as a contributor (not a spec- Academic Profile
• Do take calculated risks rather tator) and raise my hand ensuring my
than living in complacency where voice is heard. Do take calculated risks BTech Electronics & Instrumentation
nothing grows. rather than living in complacency where Engineering, Kakatiya Institute of
nothing grows. Become a subject mat- Technology & Science
Whatever the work is, pay attention ter expert rather than a generalist and
to details and do a world-class job. hold onto an anchor to coast through MS & PhD in Electrical Engineering,
New Mexico State University, US
Awards & Fellowships
Graduate Senator of Associated
Students of New Mexico State
University
Stanford Epicenter’s University
Innovation Fellow
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 25
Section Sponsor
Academicians &
Researchers
Abha Misra, PhD
Professor, Department of Instrumentation & Applied Physics
Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
Abha Misra is a nanotechnologist and her research focus is technology
development for monitoring environment pollutants with a fast communication
system. She is developing self-powered devices like sensors and supercapacitors.
My father is a retired scientist and we should succeed in developing always have our opportunity to attain
who worked in a defence lab- the technology for everyone. Although excellence—the journey is ours and
oratory. As a first teacher, he there are developments in interdisci- does not depend on any one. Have a
introduced scientific concepts to me. plinary fields in nanotechnology, still roaring journey.
This was when my journey began toward more research needs to be focused on
finding a career in S&T. My mother’s understanding the interfaces between Nanotechnology is interdisciplinary;
contribution as a mentor is incredible various boundaries for the transforma- more research needs to focus on
in supporting me throughout my career. tion from science to engineering. understanding the interfaces between
She has supported all my decisions that science and engineering. More women
help me develop enormous confidence One educated woman can bring researchers must take up research in
to pursue a career in science. a breakthrough in society this direction. Science is gender neutral
and it gives everyone freedom without
I learned novel scientific concepts from by supporting several other girls any boundaries being imposed.
Prof. Chiara Daraio, my post-doctoral and women.
adviser at the California Institute of Without support from the government,
Technology, and her approach to uncon- Fortunately, the people around me the success of women in STEM cannot
ventional ideas and presenting them were always very encouraging and sup- reach an optimum mark. The govern-
simply was a good learning experience portive. I never faced any exclusive ment needs to make sure that all deserv-
that I used in my teaching. The support challenge as a woman. However, I am ing talents can pursue a career in STEM.
from my husband towards my profes- aware of the fact that most women have The flow of support should not be lim-
sional career has been incredible. a tough journey reaching the same level ited to the school level. Government
as mine. I have great regard for them, policies should help establish women
I am now working to develop technology and these are the real role models for role models in every school and college
for monitoring the environment (air and women in our country. by facilitating them in the environment
water pollutants) with a fast communi- that they require to outgrow in society.
cation system, which must reach every I see every successful woman as a role
home. My research extends to develop model to several lakhs of young girls We need to relook at the decades-old
sensors and detectors for defense who are starting their careers. One syllabus and initiate a good STEM-
applications. We are focusing on util- educated woman can bring a break- specific teaching programme by revamp-
ising the cheap carbon source, also through in society by supporting several ing such older programmes. The same
known as a blackbody, but their intrin- other girls and women. This is possible style of teaching and teachers will not
sic properties have to be engineered only when all of us work together and help improve this area in the country.
to enhance the light-matter interaction. develop a gender-neutral society.
Our research has demonstrated the Academic Profile
proof-of-concept for self-powering in Persistent hard work with a clear aim in
photodetector as well as supercapac- mind is the key to reaching the goal. It BSc & MSc Physics, Kanpur University
itor applications. A country like ours is important to get support from your
has plenty of sunlight to be harvested parents as they are the true mentors, PhD in Physics, IIT Bombay
do not hesitate to reach out to women
Persistent hard work with a clear scientists who have already crossed Awards & Fellowships
aim in mind is the key to reaching hurdles so that they can speak to your
the goal. parents. No doubt, women students Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
face a lot of responsibilities along with Post-doctoral Fellowship, Caltech, US
Without support from the govern- their studies and work but a sincere
ment, the success of women in STEM effort always paves a path to success. Top Cited Author Award, IOP Publishing
cannot reach an optimum mark. In the process, something succeeds
and something gets missed. But we will SERB Women Excellence Award
DST Young Scientist Research Award
INSA Medal for Young Scientists
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 28
Anindita Bhadra, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
Associate Dean of International Relations and Outreach
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata
Anindita Bhadra is an ecologist and the master of the ‘The Dog Lab’ at IISER.
She works on the behavioural ecology of free-ranging dogs in India.
Iwas born and brought up in Kolkata, pet dogs. My research has influenced as a contractual assistant professor,
and studied at the G D Birla Girls’ researchers at well-known dog research and almost met a dead end until the
High School. I fell in love with biology labs from the global north to start selection committee decided to uplift
in class III, totally smitten by my sci- travelling to the global south to study me and put me on a safe track. Those
ence teacher Mandira Basu, who would free-ranging dogs. years of abeyance and denial for what
demonstrate science concepts in class. I deserved made me who I am today.
Prof. Aniruddha Mukherjee, my high Ecology is a field that has many women Thus, believe in yourself. Follow your
school mentor, inspired me to dream of researchers. Field work is often con- dreams, and don’t pay heed to what
pursuing a PhD. During my undergrad- sidered difficult for women, but that is the world says. If you believe you can;
uate days at the Vivekananda College, completely wrong. One of the pioneers you can.
a field trip to IISc Bengaluru and the in this field was Jane Goodall. Thus, if
Western Ghats changed my life forever. you want to embrace ecology, read a We need more awareness among youth
The trip was organised by Prof. Silanjan lot, look at nature and ask questions. about STEM careers, irrespective
Bhattacharyya, who instilled my inter- of gender. To attract young girls and
est in the field of ecology and evolution. Believe in yourself. Follow women to STEM, we need to ensure
your dreams, and don’t pay heed safe workplaces and have more strin-
I fell in love with IISc and its intellectual gent action in cases of sexual abuse,
ambience at the first sight. I was highly to what the world says. If you discrimination and harassment. Women
inspired by the research work of Prof. believe you can; you can. researchers from the country should
Raghavendra Gadagkar whose lecture be highlighted as role models for young
on social wasps mesmerised me. Even I do wish to share the flip side of girls to look up to. STEM education
before returning from the trip, I had being a woman researcher. The first is plagued with the lack of hands-on
decided to come back to IISc to pursue time I faced hurdles as a woman was teaching. Students are not motivated
research. Prof. Gadagkar has been my at IISER Kolkata. From receiving flir- to conduct experiments; they are not
mentor since my PhD days. My experi- tatious remarks and comments on my encouraged to ask questions. We need
ences at the Centre for Contemporary dressing sense to being subjected to more discourse on pedagogy and make
Studies, started by Prof. Gadagkar vindictive behaviour of senior admin- teaching a lucrative career option.
during my stay at IISc, boosted my intel- istration, I saw it all. The contracts of
lectual growth. four women fellows, including myself Academic Profile
who protested against these practices,
Since 2009, I have been working on were terminated. Though the contracts BSc (Hons) & MSc Zoology,
the behavioural ecology of free-rang- were reinstated, yet the original prom- University of Calcutta
ing dogs in India. Until then, most of ise of regularising us seemed to be
the research on dogs was focused on distant from reality. I was told to look PhD from IISc Bengaluru
after my family and be happy with the
If you want to embrace ecology, permanent post of a scientific officer Awards & Memberships
read a lot, look at nature and ask rather than trying to craft a career as
questions. a scientific group leader. While I was INSA Young Scientist Award, 2009
fighting my due for a regular position,
Women researchers from the my students too struggled with certain SERB Women Excellence Award, 2013
country should be highlighted as kinds of biased behaviour from their
role models for young girls. peers and my colleagues. The time was Janaki Ammal National Woman
tough, but I went on with resilience and Bioscientist Award (Young), 2021
We need more discourse on ped- grit and never learnt to keep my mouth
agogy and make teaching a lucra- shut on issues that were righteous and Founding Member & Chair (2015-18),
tive career option. just. My career path at the institute Indian National Young Academy of
started as an IISER fellow, took a bend Sciences
Member, Royal Society of Biology, UK
Member, Animal Behavior Society, US
Member, European Society of
Evolutionary Biology
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 29
Dr Bhavana Prasher
Senior Principal Scientist, AYUSH Centre of Excellence at CSIR-IGIB, Delhi
Professor, Biological Sciences, Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research
Adjunct Faculty, School of Sanskrit & Indic Studies, JNU, Delhi
Dr Bhavana Prasher pioneered the development of the new field of research called
Ayurgenomics at CSIR-IGIB. Her research integrates disciplines of Ayurveda,
modern biology, computational methods and genomics for developing a framework
for precision and predictive medicine approaches.
Iwas born and brought up in Mumbai Ayurveda says that the ultimate the next level and create leaders for
in a Gujarati family. My elder brother test of maturity of any discipline tomorrow.
inspired me to pursue medicine and
become a doctor. Although my joining a is that its subject matter For women, though age relaxation in
BAMS course was a sheer chance, the appeals to and engages anyone recruitments exists, similar relaxation
moment I entered this stream, I felt this in reward systems would encourage
is where I belong to. Access to Sanskrit irrespective of the level of them to pursue science careers even
teachings and literature and proximity intelligence. STEM education after 35 or 40. Mentorship programmes
to the British Council Library enriched must incorporate this tenet. to hand-hold and support women after
my learning experience manifold. maternity break would be immensely
My exposure to integrative medicine I initiated systematic exploration of beneficial.
got impetus in the second year when Ayurveda’s framework and building of
I attended a summer course organised conceptual concordance between its There is a great potential in Ayur
by the National Integrated Medical fundamental methods and principles genomics, both from basic research and
Association. Passionate teachers, men- with basic science. Scientific develop- its translation in preventive and clinical
tors and peer groups all have contrib- ment of methods for cross-validation medicine. Programmes for support-
uted to and inspired me. for this concordance not only led to ing more inter-disciplinary approaches
identification of molecular and genomic in science, leveraging the indigenous
My admission into MD course strength- corelates of dosha and prakriti theory knowledge systems as well as cut-
ened my exposure to a combination of but also lead to novel discoveries of ting-edge scientific developments, may
modern research methods and pure predictive markers. also attract women and provide them
classical Ayurveda-based clinical activ- edge over others due to their natural
ities. I visited a CSIR lab to access In my journey of developing Ayur ability to multitask and integrate.
modern scientific literature available genomics, tough experiences proved to
on herbal formulations that I was using be good opportunities rather than bar- Ayurveda texts describe learning in
for my MD research work as a probe riers. Proving the relevance of prakriti,
for exploring fundamental concept of a fundamental principle of personalised three steps: Adhyayan (studying),
Ayurveda, Ojas through reverse biology medicine in Ayurveda, in the modern
approach. This was my first project work context of genomics-based predictive Adhyapana (teaching) and tadvid
towards exploring Indian traditional medicine was one such tough task.
knowledge and bridging it with modern Thus, I faced barriers not as a woman, sambhasha (discussion with domain
scientific methods, which encouraged but due to my different educational and
me to take it up as a career. I joined the training background, non-native peer experts). Ayurveda says that the ulti-
same CSIR lab as an Ayurveda expert group and environment. We were on an
in Traditional Knowledge Digital Library adventurous journey towards creating a mate test of maturity of any discipline
project in 2001. completely new disciplineWe wanted to
open it for people to travel seamlessly is that its subject matter appeals to
In 2002, I joined CSIR-IGIB and estab- across disciplines.
lished the new field of Ayurgenomics. and engages anyone irrespective of the
My research experience has taught me
Tough experiences prove to be good that domain expertise and vision for the level of intelligence. STEM education
opportunities rather than barriers. core area of work is a must for earning
respect as a leader. A leader’s role in must incorporate these tenets.
Age relaxation in reward systems team is to select the right person for the
would encourage women to pursue right task and to recognise the poten- Academic Profile
science careers post 35 or 40. tial, groom and push the teammates to
BAMS, Smt. KG Mittal Punarvasu
Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, University
of Mumbai
MD, Department of Basic Principles
of Ayurveda, Institute of Post
Graduate Teaching and Research
in Ayurveda, Gujarat Ayurveda
University, Jamnagar
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 30
recognized aS
Institution of
Eminence
by Govt. of India
Let me begin by congratulating the CII for publishing this volume on women achievers in STEM. The contribution of
India’s women to the world of scientific research is a matter of such great pride. Where would we be today without the
pioneering work of Janaki Ammal or Asima Chatterjee or Kadambini Ganguly and so many others, many of whom to this
date remain unsung?
Research in its broadest sense, is the fundamental pillar of the academic mission of Shiv Nadar University. We believe
strongly that the university must be a center for the discovery and creation of new forms of knowledge and expression,
going beyond the dissemination of existing knowledge.
Within just ten years, Shiv Nadar University has defined a new trajectory for higher education in India. The recognition as
the youngest Institution of Eminence by the Government of India is a testament to this trajectory. As we look forward to
the next decade, we are determined to continue to drive foundational thinking within, across and beyond disciplines. Our
focus will remain steadfast on the fundamental pillars of what makes a great university: a holistic, multidisciplinary
education, research, innovation, and a commitment to the betterment of society.
However, we wish to be defined not only by the outcomes we achieve: our aspirations are more audacious. Our agenda
is to transform the very ways in we learn, discover, teach, analyze, act, live and come together to create an institution of
higher learning. Needless to say, women are, as they must be, central to such an agenda.
In the words of our former Vice-Chancellor Dr. Rupamanjari Ghosh, a recipient of the Stree Shakti Samman award for her
contribution to science: ‘it is not just about treating men and women equally -- it is about understanding the differences
rationally and making the best of everyone’s abilities and choices. A career in science often demands long hours at work,
there are issues that affect women more adversely than men in this society. We paid active attention to these preventable
problems. The overall culture I wanted to create at the University was 'gender-enriched', and not just 'gender-neutral'."
This work of enriching knowledge through the full participation of women needs many champions, advocates and foot
soldiers. It is not a task that should fall on women alone. Neither is this a problem limited to India only. There is a large
body of literature which shows the global trends and suggests many strategies we could mobilize for achieving greater
inclusivity. My fervent hope is that India will lead this global quest for inclusive science.
It is important therefore that our message to our women scientists is not that they must continue despite all adversity.
Instead, our message should be that all of us commit to work together to reduce those adversities, to remove those
barriers and make their paths less difficult than it is today.
At Shiv Nadar University, we are committed to the mission of fostering an inclusive climate for such research excellence.
The research success of our faculty, including women faculty in STEM disciplines, and our students, is making an
increasing impact every day. But there is much more to do.
As a research university, our foremost task is to foster the love for research and curiosity itself. This is the main impetus
behind our 4-year research degree programs. Their objective is to nurture young talent of the country by developing
their capability for methodologically rigorous research, right from the undergraduate level.
Acknowledging the critical importance of supporting PhD students, we have established a doctoral award program,
guaranteed for 5 years. It consists of a stipend (for 5 years), an academic fee waiver, highly subsidized accommodation
on our beautiful 286-acre campus and support for dissemination of research through conferences and publications. Our
investment in research facilities remains a topmost priority. The state-of-the-art, 63000 square feet Research Block
houses major equipment and facilities for experimental research. The university is the first in the country to establish a
Center for Genomics and Spatial transcriptomics (STOMICS). A Center for Integrative and Translational Research is in
progress, while the Center for Excellence in Epigenetics was inaugurated in May 2022.
We are developing several new areas for cutting-edge transdisciplinary research. One such area is
Cognition, where our vision is to bring together the STEM, the humanities and social sciences and
creative fields to produce high-impact research.
Let me conclude by noting that I am very heartened by the increasing number of male colleagues
who are proud to support their spouses and daughters in their aspirations and often ready to make
serious compromises with their own careers. In an ideal world, academic institutions would be
able to support both careers, and families, irrespective of gender. DR. ANANYA MUKHERJEE
VICE-CHANCELLOR
Let us come together to create that world.
Chirashree Roy Chaudhuri, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Electronics &
Telecommunication Engineering
Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, West Bengal
Chirashree Roy Chaudhuri’s research pertains to electrical biosensors
for affordable and sensitive diagnostics and food quality monitoring
My high school and under gradu- had to ignore many options. However, Administrators and educators must
ate teachers motivated me for I decided to do the best possible in strive to create an environment in school
developing the basic scientific India in my field and continued securing that motivates parents to encourage
reasoning and introduced me to the research grants and expanding my lab. their girl child to pursue science as a
world of hands-on experiments. I am career. Workshops must be organised
ever grateful to my PhD supervisor who Success is not final, failure is to create social awareness that science
taught me to think out of the box and not fatal; it is the courage to & technology is not a male-dominated
execute any research idea with the sim- field. Attractive fellowship schemes for
plest resources available. continue that counts. women may be introduced to boost to
their career even after a professional
A major turning point was not being My research group is working on devel- setback for raising a family.
able to pursue a master’s degree at oping ultrasensitive, specific and afford-
IISc Bengaluru despite securing a high able biosensors for early detection of Science teaching in school is sylla-
rank in GATE examination due to fam- cancer and discovery of new biomarkers
ily issues. So I had to steer my research for treatment of complex diseases. As bus-centric and is detached from cor-
domain with limited experimental existing commercial technologies sel-
resources at Jadavpur University in dom reach the required detection lim- relating the content with everyday
microelectronics. Soon after com- its in femtomolar, we have developed a
pleting my PhD, I had to shoulder the suite of technologies with translational life. At the college level, experiment
responsibility of establishing a labo- potential for cancer biomarker detec-
ratory in the department and create a tion in femtomolar regime in serum. design should be emphasised in STEM
research group of my own. I wrote and We further developed ultrasensitive
secured research grants from various field effect transistor-based devices subjects rather than just performing
funding agencies, thereby accelerating with detection limits in sub-femtomolar
my professional growth from an early range in serum. Our research has sev- standard sets of experiments. Project-
stage. Further, it was my husband, a eral Indian patents to its credit.
medical professional, who motivated centric study modules in technological
me to pursue research in the area of I am not in a leadership role in a tra-
rapid, low-cost disease diagnostics. ditional sense, but I have led myself courses with practical relevance are
on every occasion. Every successful
I joined as a lecturer at the Bengal woman leader benefits from guidance, needed.
Engineering and Science University at advice or mentorship. To reach the top,
Shibpur while writing my thesis; I was one should always nurture a curious Academic Profile
also married by then. It was indeed tough mind and be prepared for accepting
to strike a balance between family, PhD changes as technology evolves on a BE Electronics & Instrumentation,
and a new job. Further, due to domes- daily basis. One should not be afraid to ME Electronics & Communication
tic responsibilities, I gave up the idea learn from others, including juniors, and Engineering, PhD, Jadavpur University,
of pursuing post-doctoral studies in any learn new ways of solving old problems. West Bengal
international laboratory or institute and It is necessary to focus on a key goal
that is inspiring and challenging. Awards & Memberships
Nurture a curious mind and be
prepared for accepting changes. The road may not be smooth. One must Gandhian Young Technological
remember that success is not final, Innovation Appreciation Award,
Focus on a key goal that is inspir- failure is not fatal; it is the courage to SHRISTI, 2021
ing and challenging. continue that counts. Be surrounded
by people of interest and intellect and Visvesvaraya Young Faculty Research
Be surrounded by people of inter- continuously exchange ideas through Award, MeITY, 2017
est and intellect. discussions.
Young Scientist Award, Institute of
Smart Structures and Systems, 2015
Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award,
National Academy of Science, 2014
Women Excellence Award, DST-SERB,
2013
Young Engineer Award, Indian National
Academy of Engineering, 2011
Member of National Academy of
Science, INYAS, INSA
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 32
Devinder Kaur, PhD
Assistant Professor, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda
Devinder Kaur’s research work comprises scanning the whole genome
sequence of the pathogenic protozoan parasite E. histolytica to
discover its features that confer pathogenicity.
As a master’s student, pursing My father, initially hesitant about my You need to ‘train your brain’ all the
a PhD was never my choice. decision to pursue a PhD, later sup- time with updated data and new skills.
My master’s dissertation, ported all of my endeavours. My As a woman reseracher, you must mas-
however, turned out to be a game- mother has been a mentor who taught ter time management skills to ensure
changer when I got the opportunity to me to learn basic principles in science work-life balance.
work with Prof. Sudha Bhattacharya and not run after marks. Everyone in
at the Jawaharlal Nehru University my life—instructors, mentors, siblings, One should enter this field voluntarily
(JNU). For the first time, I realised friends, husband and mother-in-law, and out of interest. As a PhD degree is
that research was fun. While present- encouraged me to move ahead in pro- compulsory for applying for an assis-
ing my work for the viva voice, my fessional life. tant professor’s job, we are simply ask-
external examiner told me: “Good, ing everyone to do PhD, irrespective
Go back, complete it and get it pub- Conducting research and of their interest. Without interest, it is
lished.” These remarks had a huge defending your work using the simply going to be the wastage of lab
impact on my life. After a year, it did strongest arguments and evidence resources, expensive chemicals and
get published. This served as the are completely different games. fellowship funds. One needs to think
spark that ignited my PhD pursuit. about it.
The organism I chose for my research
All of my teachers, right from school work was Entamoeba histolytica. It In my opinion, the lack of a secure job is
time in Una, Himachal Pradesh, causes amoebiasis and according to
inspired me to pursue science. All the WHO, it is responsible for 10,000 one of the weakest points of this field.
engaging, hands-on activities piqued deaths annually worldwide. I have
my interest in biology. In this learning, explored this organism at the molecular People put in a lot of hard work as this
my friends played an equally significant level using both molecular and compu-
role. Support from my parents and tational techniques. I studied the highly field necessitates a lot of effort, atten-
siblings fostered my inner strengths. crucial process of rRNA maturation
When I was struggling with my PhD required for the growth and viability of tion and time. After all this, one should
experiments, my sister inspired me the cells.
and my brother encouraged me to be rewarded with secure jobs. Limited-
set high goals and take pride in my I used a computational approach to
publications. decipher the mechanistic details of this time fellowships are not enough for a
process, which revealed some peculiar
Women researchers must master features, unique to E. histolytica. I car- life-long career journey. Due to the lack
time management skills to have ried out studies that would help in find-
work-life balance. ing the target genes for drug design. My of regular employment and reduction
PhD experience made me realise that
‘Train your brain’ all the time with Conducting research and defending in the number of fellowships, the only
updated data and new skills. your work using the strongest argu-
ments and evidence are completely remaining alternative left is to take on
Research is a field of endless different games.
learning. contractual positions, which primar-
I would say hard work is the key but
The government must alter nowadays hard work along with smart ily involves teaching with little to no
employment policies to restore work is the super-key to success.
faith in STEM careers. Research is a field of endless learning. research. What needs to be done is
the alteration of government employ-
ment policies to restore faith in STEM
careers.
Academic Profile
PhD, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Fellowship
UGC-BSR Meritorious JRF-SRF
Fellowship
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 33
Debashree Ghosh, PhD
Professor, School of Chemical Sciences
Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata
Former Senior Scientist, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune
Iwas born in Kolkata Debashree Ghosh’s research interest is to explore the
and brought up in the mechanism of melanin-related photo-processes using machine
suburbs of Serampore. learning and quantum chemistry-based software packages.
Early on, my grandfather
encouraged me to read.
Our home was full of books, and I took a tough examiner. I remember being the field. I wish this percentage shoots
to them quite naturally and enthusias- extremely terrified. But somehow, this up. Therefore, I would advice women
tically. My interest was in science and exam went spectacularly well for me. researchers to be persevering and
mathematics, I was an introvert and not The ownership and confidence I felt strong-willed. I would suggest they form
particularly sure about my career pros- after that incident made me finish my and be part of professional circles of
pects then, but I found a comfortable PhD in a smooth manner. women scientists and develop a culture
refuge in studies and school work. of helping each other in such networks.
I participated in a summer school organ- It is necessary for women to Despite favourable policies to attract
ised by IACS for school-leaving children. identify a few mentors who can more women into STEM careers, lacu-
At that time I did not know that IACS motivate and support them when nae still exist in efforts to attract more
would later become my workplace. I met women at a younger age and to retain
the calling gets tough.
some amazing professors there who My research aims at understanding the them later. Organising summer schools
opened up the world of academics and interaction of light on biological systems and science camps with participation of
research to me. It was mainly this influ- from a molecular perspective using the- a large number of women professionals
ence that offered the initial impetus to oretical and computational tools. I do may help. ‘Vigyan Jyoti’ camps are a good
me to pursue science. My teachers at not think I have faced too many barriers example. Social consciousness about
the Presidency College not only inspired as a woman. However, it was a difficult STEM careers should also be cultivated.
me to pursue research, but mentored me experience hunting for a job when both
as well on how to make it possible. They my husband and I were looking for aca- The main shortcoming in how STEM is
offered me the confidence to dream and demic positions at the same time. I was being taught is that we are discouraged
the ability to realise my goals. always apprehensive whether my can- to ask questions and not taught to solve
didacy would be viewed less seriously. problems. While bookish knowledge
My postdoctoral advisor, Prof. Anna I was never quite sure whether to be and reading up on existing theoreti-
Krylov, played a crucial part in my pro- assertive as I normally am or be more cal aspects is done quite effectively,
fessional growth. She has always been soft-spoken as I might be expected to students are not encouraged to think
extremely balanced, understanding and be. It was a difficult balance and I never about how to apply it to solve a real-life
encouraging. quite knew what worked or did not. But problem.
I am ultimately thankful that there were Academic Profile
Sometimes, a single incidence may many people who believed in me.
leave a long-lasting influence. In my BSc Chemistry (Hons), Presidency
qualifier for PhD, I was required to It is necessary for women to identify a College, Kolkata
defend the work’s progress and show few mentors who can motivate and sup- MS Chemical Sciences, IISc, Bengaluru
a path forward. I had in my committee port them when the calling gets tough.
Nobel laureate Prof. Roald Hoffmann, Women must learn to strike work-life PhD, Cornell University, US
balance and take some time away from
Organising summer schools and work to do things that bring joy. This Postdoctoral research, University of
science camps with participation helps prevent burnouts and ensures Southern California
of a large number of women pro- a positive spirit. For me, it is a diverse
fessionals may help. group of friends that keeps me more Awards & Fellowships
outward-looking and balanced.
Social consciousness about STEM POWER Fellowship, DST-SERB, 2022
careers should also be cultivated. My field, chemical sciences in particu-
lar, is extremely male-dominated where Annual Medal of the International
Be part of professional circles of women research group leaders make up Academy of Quantum Molecular
women scientists and develop a for less than 15 per cent of the total in Sciences, 2021
culture of helping each other.
Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship, 2020
Experienced Researcher Fellowship
of Humboldt Foundation, 2017
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 34
Debrupa Lahiri, PhD
Associate Professor, Biomaterials and Multiscale Mechanics Laboratory
Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Roorkee
Ex-Scientific Officer-D, Nuclear Fuel Complex, Hyderabad
Material scientist Debrupa Lahiri’s research and expertise are focused
on composites, nano-mechanical properties and biomaterials.
Iwas born in Liluah, a small town in the nano-mechanical properties. Recently, women in STEM, more women will auto-
Howrah district of West Bengal. I am we are being approached by compa- matically get attracted to this field.
thankful to my parents and teachers nies for practical problems related to
for giving me a wonderful schooling composites. Since engineering is directly related to
experience, which inspired me to per- practical application, I feel the studies
form the best in whatever I did. As such, Women are natural leaders. also need to be more practical-ori-
no specific person inspired me to opt They can take care of the family, ented. Problems from practical life,
for engineering; it was mostly my own issues faced by industries and success
interest and pursuit. The beauty of my nurture children for proper stories of engineering marvels must be
stream, metallurgical and materials education and training, and included wherever possible, to attract
engineering, is the perfect combination can concentrate on their official students to this vast field. Once we
of science, engineering and technology. responsibilities as well, keeping make STEM education attractive and
all aspects in perfect equilibrium. challenging, STEM careers will turn
After pursuing MTech, I settled down in more popular. Recent government ini-
Hyderabad—got married, joined a gov- Women are natural leaders. They can tiatives like Atmanirbhar Bharat and
ernment job in the Department of Atomic take care of the family, nurture children Make in India have the potential to
Energy and became a mother. One day, for proper education and training, and make this journey more interesting,
a casual conversation with my mother can concentrate on their official respon- challenging and fruitful. I am quite sure
changed everything. I and my husband sibilities as well, keeping all aspects in these would be an integral part of edu-
decided to go further in our careers. perfect equilibrium. Once they are in cation and research in STEM and act as
We left everything behind and went to the leading position, they will be able to the driving force towards incorporating
the United States for pursuing PhD. It manage all other aspects of their life with a practical approach in the field.
was a big, but calculated risk, which paid similar efficiency and in perfect balance.
off finally, when we returned to join IIT Academic Profile
Roorkee as assistant professors. The field of engineering, specifically
metallurgical and materials engineer- BE Metallurgical Engineering, Bengal
I had a tough experience when I became ing, is highly suitable for women. Engineering College, Shibpur
a mother. Being a premature baby, my Development of materials in a broad
son needed special care and atten- range–from as small as in a transistor MTech Materials & Metallurgical
tion. At that point, I was in a dilemma going into a mobile phone to as big as Engineering, IIT Kanpur
about whether to continue in my career. needed in a ship or an airplane—is chal-
Anyway, with strong support from my lenging, exciting and enjoyable. PhD in Materials Science &
husband and parents, I was able to go Engineering, Post-doc Research,
through that tough phase of my life, The government has already increased Florida International University (FIU),
keeping my career intact. seats for women at the entry-level of Miami
engineering education in some reputed
I received an international award, engineering institutions. The govern- Awards & Fellowships
the Zwick Science Award and Paul ment and private sectors should move
Roell Medal, for a specific study on ahead to recruit more and more women. Zwick Science Award and Paul Roell
GATI by DST is one such effort. Women Medal, 2013
The government and the private should also be encouraged to become
sector should recruit more women. entrepreneurs and the government Dissertation Year Fellowship &
should extend the required support. Dissertation Evidence Acquisition
Success stories of women in Success stories of women in STEM Fellowship from University Graduate
STEM need to be highlighted fre- need to be highlighted frequently in School, FIU
quently in the media. the media. Once the general awareness
increases about the expanding scope of Memberships
American Ceramic Society
Minerals, Metals & Materials Society
Materials Research Society India
Indian Institute of Metals
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 35
Dr Dhanya Lakshmi N
Associate Professor
Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
Dr Dhanya Lakshmi is a clinical geneticist who works on autoinflammatory
diseases to understand their genetic basis by using genomic techniques.
Ihave been fortunate enough to have meet Dr Dan Kastner, the father of Women should be able to decide the
supportive parents who encouraged autoinflammatory diseases. It was the field of work based on their interests,
scientific inquiry from a young age. conversation that we had that changed and not of their partners or family.
In my opinion, teaching or learning my perspective on research in that To attract more women into STEM
any subject, should not be done for field. careers, there should be policies to
the sake of getting a job or for earning enable women in the workforce irre-
money. Inculcating scientific inquiry is The portrayal of women as shakti spective of their marital status.
needed from the beginning. My par- (power) with multi-tasking
ents never hesitated to spend money Many institutes in India have extremely
on books for me and my brother. My abilities and ten different hands biased housing arrangements for sin-
brother, who is also a scientist, has should end. Women need not gle women. They are not given prefer-
been a motivation for me to pursue be put on a pedestal as every ence when it comes to housing inside
rational thinking. pedestal is a prison as well. the campus. The portrayal of women
as shakti (power) with multi-tasking
I was lucky to have mentors who were I did not face the regular barriers abilities and ten different hands should
extraordinarily brilliant and at the women have to face due to gender-bias. end. Women need not be put on a ped-
same time amazing human beings. I However, as soon as I finished my MD, a estal as every pedestal is a prison as
got the chance to work with Dr Sheela personal tragedy struck me. And it was well.
Nampoothiri as soon as I finished my an experience that enabled my growth
MD in pediatrics. Her commitment and as a human being. All that I achieved There should be a regular feedback
perseverance inspired me a lot to study afterwards would not have been possi-
medical genetics. ble without the support of my friends, mechanism in workplaces. And finally,
family and wonderful colleagues.
Another key person who inspired me all workplaces should have a dedicated
was Dr Shubha Phadke, my depart- Being a clinical geneticist, I see families
ment head at the Sanjay Gandhi Pos- with rare diseases. We help them get centre to address the concerns of
Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences an answer by performing genetic test-
(SGPGIMS), Lucknow. She has always ing. We also aid in their management women. Women need a lot of support
encouraged and supported me to and provide genetic counselling for the
pursue research in medical genetics. families. I am currently trying to focus when they need to voice their opinion
Recently, I had the opportunity to on autoinflammatory diseases, which
are a rare group of diseases that cause that differs from their superior male
Inculcating scientific inquiry is uncontrolled inflammation in the body.
needed from the beginning. I am also researching their genetic officers.
basis by using genomic techniques that
Decide the field of work based on will enable treatment with drugs. Academic Profile
your interest, not those of your
partner or family. Through my experience, I believe that, MBBS, Kerala University
when you get into the field, it is import-
Teaching or learning any subject ant to choose wise mentors, but ensure DCH, MD Pediatrics, Calicut
should not be done for the sake of that you choose them not based on the University, Kerala
getting a job or for earning money. number of publications or grants, but
based on how kind and considerate DM Medical Genetics, SGPGIMS,
It is important to choose a wise, they are. If possible, always spend time Lucknow
kind and considerate mentor. with the person before choosing him or
her as your mentor. DNB Pediatrics
Fellowship & Memberships
DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance
Early Career Fellow
(clinical and public health research)
Member of INYAS, Society of Indian
Academy of Medical Genetics,
Indian Association of Pediatrics
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 36
Dr Gagandeep Kang
Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences
Christian Medical College, Vellore
Former Director, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad
Dr Gagandeep Kang is a physician-scientist, specialising in microbiology
and public health. She has more than 30 years of experience in leading and
coordinating health research.
Iwas born in Shimla, and was schooled of the WHO SAGE Working Group on wish to become a clinician scientist, be
in many towns owing to the transfer- COVID-19 vaccines and as vice-chair of sure that you have a passion for change
able government job of my father. the Board of the Coalition for Epidemic and are willing to be rigorous with your
My family encouraged me to become a Preparedness Innovation, where I also efforts. You must be ready to devote
doctor, but the focus on research came chair the Equitable Access Committee. the time needed to execute on the chal-
largely from my own curiosity. My sup- lenges of research in hospitals and labo-
portive parents and colleagues with Aspiring women leaders must ratories and with the community.
whom I had collaborations for over stretch themselves early in their
20 years inspired me in different ways. career to get a sense of what they I have never thought India has a special
are capable of, and then network problem with women in STEM. I think
I built an internationally-recognised, and project their achievements. India has a problem with professional
globally-competitive research pro- women. Indians respect STEM careers,
gramme focused on enteric infectious However, for my professional journey but the real need is to respect and
diseases and interventions ranging from to become so satisfying and successful, facilitate working women. Most STEM
water and sanitation to vaccines. I have I had to go through the lens of scrutiny. teaching in India lacks building pro-
conducted hospital- and communi- Recognitions that I could perform at a fessional readiness in students. At the
ty-based randomised controlled trials, very high level helped me accomplish school level, particularly in rural areas,
initiated and followed cohorts and mul- my best whenever I met new challenges. experiential learning and critical think-
tiple case control studies. I have collabo- ing are not widely used, and require
rated with over 70 institutions in India to Barriers and roadblocks are common- a level of teaching skills that few of
establish multi-site and multi-tier surveil- place for women in STEM fields, largely our teachers have, even at the univer-
lance systems to define the burden of dominated by men. From a head of sity level. Improvements are feasible:
several enteric infections and evaluate department who constantly told me that smaller class sizes, better teaching, and
the safety and effectiveness of vaccines I was doing badly and had no potential opportunities for exposure through
introduced into the national immuniza- to another who said he did not like the workshops and summer programmes.
tion programme. My research group has look on my face, the systemic denigra- Many of these exist for the elite, but
supported the development of three tion, as happens particularly in medical just as with the potential for women
indigenously-manufactured rotavirus research in India, led me to believe that to expand the STEM workforce, all
vaccines, one of which failed while the I was incapable of doing anything well. Indian students should be supported to
other two are now WHO pre-qualified. I found working in other countries much explore and pursue their interests.
easier, with much more overt support to
For the past 15 years, I have been grow. It takes a long time to rebuild your Academic Profile
deeply engaged with the global vaccine belief in yourself. I was over 40 when
research community. In the past two I finally decided to do the best I could MBBS, MD, PhD, Christian Medical
years, I have continued to serve on mul- to pursue my interest, and not let the College, Vellore
tiple advisory committees, nationally demeaning and ignoring get me down.
and internationally, most notably as part Post-doctoral training in UK, US
Aspiring women leaders must stretch
I have never thought India has themselves early in their career to get a Awards
a special problem with women in sense of what they are capable of, and
STEM. I think India has a problem then network and project their achieve- Infosys Prize in Life Sciences, 2016
with professional women. ments. In Indian society, women are Fellow of the Royal Society, UK, 2019
insensibly conditioned to not put them- Fellow of the Faculty of Public
Be sure that you have a passion for selves forward and thus often do not
change and are willing to be rigor- get selected for roles where they would Health, UK, by publication, 2016
ous with your efforts. be more than suitable. For those who Fellow of American Academy of
Microbiology, 2010
Fellow of Indian National Science
Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences,
National Academy of Sciences
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 37
Gaiti Hasan, PhD
SERB-Distinguished Fellow & Former Senior Professor
National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS)
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bengaluru
Gaiti Hasan is a neuroscientist who leads fundamental research in neurodegeneration,
molecular genetics and cell signaling in neuronal function.
My childhood was spent in the cells release Ca2+ in response to the today; If I had grown up in current
campus of Aligarh Muslim second messenger Inositol 1, 4, 5-tri- times, I would have chosen a different
University, where both my par- phosphate (InsP3R) to regulate neuro- career path, but in STEM only. There
ents were professors. Academia was all nal physiology in model organisms like are multiple career options that women
around me; and so academic research fruit flies and mice as well as in human can take up other than bench research.
as a career option was obvious. My pro- stem cell-derived neurons. Our recent Those include teaching, opportunities
gressive family valued and supported findings demonstrated a role for intra- in industry, patent law and as science
women’s education. cellular Ca2+ signaling in regulating administrators and communicators.
neurotransmitter release and neuronal
During college at Delhi’s Miranda gene expression. These findings are sig- Since schools are the feeding units for
House, where teachers made us expe- nificant in suggesting possible means of higher education ecosystem in STEM,
rience science hands on in an expe- therapeutic intervention for human neu- we need to have long-term investments
riential manner, my interaction with rodegenerative diseases like spino-cere- in school and college education. We
students from non-science streams bellar ataxias and Parkinson’s syndrome, need to have better trained teach-
helped me view science in a broader where the InsP3R plays a causative role. ers and a dynamic STEM curriculum
perspective rather than confining it to that can risk logic, creativity and prob-
discipline-specific definitions.. Science is all about learning from lem-solving as metrics of learning rather
one’s failures; so learn to handle than the standardised tests.
The strong social science backbone failure positively as early as possible.
of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Equitable school education accessi-
fostered empathetic thinking in me. In their early years, both TIFR and NCBS ble to all economic classes and better
Then for my PhD, I left for Cambridge recruited competent women, but spar- scientific research infrastructure in
University, where I learned to practice ingly. That was probably due the fact colleges and universities with greater
utmost discipline—the only trait that that there were less women in STEM. exposure of students and teachers to
helps you tread the long and testing Research institutions in our country must rigorous scientific thinking can help
road in research with ease. strive to become more equitable not just improve our scientific ecosystem.
for women scientists, but for researchers
I started my career at TIFR, Mumbai, from diverse backgrounds to retain tal- Finally, as a research scientist you must
and later moved to NCBS, Bengaluru. ent in its most inclusive form and number.
I Pdeveloped an interest in how one Small changes like having good redressal enjoy your work and the process of
cell sends signals to the other and how mechanisms for work place harassment,
these communications culminate into more opportunities and institutional scientific research. Science is all about
diverse cell functions. Cellular events facilities for married students and a men-
are often mediated by spikes of cyto- toring system for women researchers can learning from one’s failures; so learn to
plasmic calcium. My group studied how go a long way in improving the represen-
tation of women in STEM. handle failure in a positive way as early
As a research scientist, you must
enjoy your work and the process of Young women looking to go into scien- as possible.
scientific research. tific research must be quite certain that
their family will agree to support their Academic Profile
Research institutions must strive passion. Experimental research often
to become more equitable for requires long work hours and a support- BSc Zoology, Miranda House,
women scientists and researchers ive family is essential. As a researcher, I University of Delhi
from diverse backgrounds. have witnessed and have been a part of
four decades of change in the S&T land- MSc & MPhil Life Sciences, JNU
Experimental research often scape in India. Sometimes, I wonder at
requires long work hours and a the diversity of career choice in STEM PhD, University of Cambridge
supportive family is essential.
Awards & Fellowships
Sri M Viseswaraya Senior Scientist
State Award, 2019, 2022
Chaire Gutenberg, by Strasbourg
Communities, Strasbourg, France, 2020
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 38
Hemant Sood, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics
Jaypee University of Information Technology, Solan, Himachal Pradesh
Hemant Sood is a plant biotechnologist developing technologies for
conserving endangered medicinal herbs of North-Western Himalayas.
My professional mentor Prof. My research has also contributed up with a defined policy in recruit-
RS Chauhan inspired me to to creating avenues for rural entre- ment with a quota for women trained
pursue a career in biotechnol- preneurship through local societ- in STEM. The major shortcoming in
ogy that involved S&T interventions ies and NGOs. I have submitted in how STEM is being taught is that
in Himalayan medicinal plants. During vitro grown medicinal plants at the there has been a very low percent-
my PhD, I realised that high-value National Bureau of Plant Genetic age of women as teachers and fac-
medicinal herbs endemic to North- Resources, Delhi, and shared my ulty trained in STEM subjects. Even
Western Himalayas are given the least scientific findings in more than 100 in my current department of 20
importance by advanced countries. publications in journals and inter- faculties, we are only three women
Therefore, I decided to pursue my national and national conferences. whereas all others are men, whereas
research in this field. I started devel- I have three patents granted and one the proportion of female students is
oping cell and tissue culture technol- published. 80-90 per cent. Moreover, new S&T
ogies for endangered medicinal plants programmes exclusively for women
and the production of medicinal com- I would advise to take up should be proposed with potential
pounds so that these traditional herbs a career in S&T, particularly avenues for entrepreneurship.
could be commercialised, utilised and in biotechnology, as India is facing
acknowledged globally. serious challenges in health, Academic Profile
malnutrition among women
I realised that there is still a biased and children in rural areas. BSc Biotechnology, HP University,
approach towards women scientists, Shimla
particularly among S&T leaders who I am also actively involved as con-
feel insecure due to forward-look- venor or member of university and MSc Biotechnology, University of
ing women. Moreover, opportunities department level committees like Horticulture & Forestry, Nauni, Solan
are still not enough to accommodate anti-ragging, sexual harassment, New
the growing number of women scien- Education Policy, board of studies, PhD in Biotechnology, Jaypee
tists having robust potential. I would bio -clubs and student mentoring and University of Information Technology,
advise to take up a career in S&T, counseling. Solan
particularly in biotechnology, as India
is facing serious challenges in health My advice to young women is to pur- PG Diploma in IPR, IGNOU, Delhi
and malnutrition among women and sue your education with great enthu- and WIPO, Geneva
children in rural areas, and hence siasm and passion by taking up local
the necessity of creating women S&T problems in health, food, nutrition and Awards
leaders. environment so that not only national
issues are addressed, but avenues for Indian Science Congress Association
Young women must pursue their entrepreneurship are created by bud- Young Scientist Award
education with great enthusiasm ding women scientists.
and passion. International Scholarship,
There is an urgent need to recruit Israel’s Agency for International
There is an urgent need to recruit more women as STEM teachers, right Development Cooperation
more women as STEM teachers. from school to college and university (MASHAV)
level, so that they become role mod-
We need a defined policy in els. This can only be achieved if the Membership
recruitment with a quota for government or private sector comes
women trained in STEM. Indian Science Congress Association
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 Biotech Research Society of India
Association of Bio-Pharma
Professionals
Orchid Society of India
IEEE
39
Jyoti Sharma, PhD
Professor, Cluster Innovation Centre
University of Delhi
Jyoti Sharma is a mathematics educator who specialises in developing
creative methods for identifying gifted STEM students and works for
promoting innovative pedagogies in STEM education.
My inclination towards mathe- potential students and to equip teach- perseverance. Women in STEM careers
matics was natural and I built ers in STEM-based pedagogy for nur- must develop passion, commitment and
a strong foundation in the turing high-ability learners. a futurist vision.
subject right from my school days. My
maternal grandfather was a mathema- I worked continuously towards creat- We must encourage girls at the school
tician, but it was my grandmother who ing new platforms for changing math level to pursue careers in STEM.
nurtured my interest in the subject. As education. I am one of the founder fac- Policymakers must construct and cre-
a mathematics enthusiast, I was keen to ulties who started the meta university ate multiple routes for young women
help students with high potential in the concept-based programme aligned with to pursue STEM careers, including mul-
discipline. Hence, I decided to pursue a STEM and technology-based innovative tiple entry and exit options. Options
career in math education and learned pedagogy. I conceptualised a project for part-time, weekends and evening
nuances of cognitive and other factors on developing methods to identify and research programmes must be made
that influence math learning in students. mentor gifted students in math and sci- available so that women can save their
ence in Indian classrooms and am the career while meeting important family
I was fortunate to have a very encour- principal investigator of this pioneering commitments and duties.
aging ecosystem, including professional national-level work. I have contributed
colleagues, mentors, friends and fam- extensively while working with NCERT STEM should be encouraged at all lev-
ily, that was always quite supportive and CBSE and other national and inter- els of education. Curriculum should
and trusted me in all my professional national groups on promoting mathe- be more hands-on and research-ori-
adventures. I remember an incident matical abilities among learners. ented. Students should be encouraged
where a school principal introduced to engage in small-scale research and
me to a little girl of grade five, a tal- Women must not be guided by the innovation activities. Building teachers’
ented child who had won many laurels myths generated by social systems capacity in STEM-based pedagogy is
in several inter-school competitions. important and must be a continuous
But when I asked the principal about and gender stereotypes. endeavour. We must merge disciplinary
how the school can further help foster boundaries in education and promote
her talent as she progresses to higher As a math educator, I have discovered multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary
grades, she acknowledged the gap in the fascination of working with little approach in teaching and assessment.
teaching expertise and lack of rele- geniuses who could be the Einstein or Finally, STEM learning experiences
vant resources. I realised that many Ramanujan of tomorrow. I feel satisfied should be realistic and localised.
talented and gifted students in STEM that my work is actually bringing my
don’t receive the required stimulus or expertise to the levels of young gifted Academic Profile
challenging environment, and we lose minds. It is challenging, yet very reward-
out on their real talent. This incident ing to the soul. BA (Hons) & MA in mathematics,
inspired me to work closely with high University of Delhi (DU)
I advise all young women pursuing
Develop passion, commitment careers in STEM to always believe in BEd, MEd and PhD in education, DU
and a futurist vision. your potential and identify your inher-
ent talent. Women must not be guided Awards
Building teachers’ capacity in by the myths generated by social sys-
STEM-based pedagogy is important. tems and gender stereotypes. Always Teaching Excellence Award for
pursue your passion and invest quality Innovation (DU)
STEM learning experiences should time on self-reflection, bringing clarity
be realistic and localised. in your ideas and setting up your pri- Member
orities. Women can effectively balance
We must merge disciplinary bound- their roles as professionals and as a Member, Consultation Group, Science,
aries in education. family anchor with better planning and Technology, Innovation Policy (STIP)
2020
The Association of Mathematics
Teachers of India
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 40
Krishna Ray, PhD
Assistant Professor, Botany, West Bengal State University, Kolkata
Krishna Ray is credited for her commendable work on ecological restoration
of degraded mangrove ecosystem in Indian Sundarbans, in collaboration with
the West Bengal department of forests.
My late parents and my late elder post-doctoral representative from are excluded from your research or aca-
brother had been my best Bose Institute. I got a chance to interact demic career.
teachers, inspirational sources beyond my lab with researchers and sci-
and motivators since childhood. My entists from across the country working Come what may, you should stick to
husband has been my whole-hearted in a similar arena. I happened to meet your aims and aim still higher by ful-
supporter and a major collaborator in Prof. Deepak Pental and got mesmer- filling them. If I can trail myself amid
all my research and other academic ised by his ideologies. Subsequently, my all the hurdles, you too can. For a suc-
activities. My school, college and uni- eight-year tenure as a research associ- cessful research career, you have to be
versity teachers and my late PhD super- ate and post-doctoral scientist at the patient and persevering. You have to
visor have all supported and made my Department of Genetics, University of be focused and do not succumb to any
journey fruitful. Delhi South Campus under the super- hindrances obstructing your academic
vision of Prof. Pental and Prof. Burma career.
However, some key advisors whose turned out to be instrumental in shap-
contributions in building my research ing my research concepts. In addition, I Although not specific for women in
career is quite instrumental and unde- was introduced to the field of ecological STEM, overseas post-doc experience
niable are Prof. Sampa Das and Prof. restoration and other ecological con- is still preferred over Indian post-doc
Arunendra Nath Lahiri Majumder of cepts of Prof. Babu’s team at CEMDE experience for recruitment in India.
Bose Institute, Kolkata; Prof. Deepak indirectly through my husband who This must change and researchers who
Pental and Prof. PK Burma of the happened to be there as a scientist in chose to stay in India must get a lev-
University of Delhi South Campus; Prof. that team on deputation. el-playing field.
S. K. Barik, Director, CSIR-National
Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow; You have to be focused and do The government and the private sec-
and finally Prof. CR Babu from the not succumb to any hindrances tor have long patronised the advocacy
Centre for Environmental Management obstructing your academic career. of women’s rights on the ground of the
of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE), equality of the sexes and several poli-
University of Delhi. Prof. Babu was I and my collaborators have worked cies are already in vogue. Yet mental
the key motivator in my research jour- towards restoring 3.16 hectares of harassment of women in academics and
ney towards taking care of nature and degraded mangroves located at STEM fields by their colleagues, super-
environment. Ramganga village of Patharpratima visors and lab mates is being contin-
block at the confluence of rivers ued at several levels and I do not know
My research career took a significant Mridangabhanga and Barchara and which policy could abate it completely.
turn when I was selected to attend showed evidence of eco-resilience
the ‘Mahabaleshwar Conference during super cyclones Amphan and Field studies should be made manda-
on Functional Genomics’ organised Yaas. Since 2020, another 60 hectares
by TIFR Mumbai in 2000 as a DBT of degraded mangroves have been tar- tory in each subject to correlate the
geted and their ecological restoration
Stick to your aims and aim still is being executed. subject with nature, environment and
higher by fulfilling them.
I faced the toughest phase in my industry. Present credit-based choice
For a successful research career, research career when I was expecting
you have to be patient and my son. systems of syllabi are just namesake
persevering.
This is a common phase of all women only at most institutions as they lack
Interdisciplinary studies are the researchers’ lives to delicately balance
need of the hour. between the family and research at relevant facilities and resource persons.
some point in time. Once sustained,
Field studies should be made man- you may get success, but if you fail, you Interdisciplinary studies are the need of
datory in each subject.
the hour.
Academic Profile
BSc (Hons), MSc & PhD in Botany,
University of Calcutta
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 41
Kusum Deep, PhD
Professor, Mathematics; Joint Faculty, Mehta Family
School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, IIT Roorkee
Visiting Professor, Liverpool Hope University, UK
Kusum Deep is a renowned mathematician who leads her research to design
efficient and reliable nature-inspired optimisation techniques to solve real-life
optimisation problems.
Iwas inspired by my parents, late PSO; binary PSO for knapsack prob- Conference on Soft Computing for
Kailash Kambo and late Prof. Kuldip lems, hybrid discrete PSO for trim loss, Problems Solving.
Chand earthquake engineering, stereo camera
calibration, parameter pptimisation of I have made an international presence
Kambo. During schooling, I was inspired multi-pass turning, extraction process in my field. However, there have been
by J N Sharma, my mathematics teacher. of bioactive compounds from gardenia, occasions when I was not assigned
Prof. Chander Mohan, my PhD super- a genus of flowering plants in the coffee any administrative or leadership posi-
visor at the University of Roorkee/IIT family Rubiaceae; cell-like P-systems tion despite my managerial skills, just
Roorkee was another inspiration. based on rules of PSO, artificial bee col- because men do not prefer to work
ony for avalanche forecasting; harmony under a woman.
I have taught subjects like mathemat- search for Sudoku; harmony search for
ics, operations research, numerical and maximum clique; and antlion optimiser In my opinion, next-generation women
analytical optimisation, parallel com- for data clustering. who wish to be involved in a leadership
puting, computer programming and role along with academic excellence
numerical methods. My research inter- Next-generation women who need to put extra efforts to keep a
ests are nature-inspired optimisation wish to be leaders need to put proper balance between academic and
techniques, particularly evolutionary extra efforts to keep a proper administrative areas by being confident,
algorithms, and swarm intelligence bold and outspoken.
techniques and their applications to balance between academic
solve real-life problems. and administrative areas. Women who wish to join faculty in
any university should not think them-
I have a breakthrough publication in It is a great honour that my recent selves to be less than men in any way
2009 to my credit. It talks about real papers on grey wolf optimiser, Hariss’ whatsoever. For better representation
coded genetic algorithms for integer hawk algorithm, sine cosine algorithm of women in STEM fields, the govern-
and mixed integer optimisation prob- have received large citations. Recently, ment and the private sector should
lems and continues to be the most my publications in classifications prob- reservea certain number of positions
downloadable paper of the Elsevier lems of breast cancer data set using for women. Announcing best women
Journal of Applied Mathematics and artificial intelligence and non-determin- teacher awards at the university level,
Computation. istic polynomial-time hard problems like best researcher award, etc. can attract
‘travelling the salesman’ problem has more women into STEM careers.
I have designed and applied new par- received noteworthy attention.
ticle swarm optimisation ( PSO): e.g. Academic Profile
shrinking hypersphere PSO, co-swarm I have authored two books,
PSO, novel Inertia weight strategies in Optimization Techniques and Nature MPhil & PhD, Mathematics,
Inspired Optimization Techniques—An University of Roorkee
Be confident, bold and outspoken. Introduction; supervised 20 PhD schol-
ars; and published over 130 research Awards & Fellowships
Women in STEM should not think papers. I am the executive editor
themselves to be less than men. of International Journal of Swarm DST-SERB POWER Grant, 2021
Intelligence, published by Geneva-
• For better representation of based Inderscience Publishers, associ- Association of Inventory
women in STEM fields, the gov- ate editor of Swarm and Evolutionary Academicians and Practitioners
ernment and the private sector Algorithms (Elsevier) and associate Excellence Award, 2018
should reserve a certain number of editor of Engineering Applications of
positions for women. Artificial Intelligence. I am the gen- Khosla Award, University of Roorkee
eral chair of a series of International
Post-Doctoral Bursary, Commission
of European Communities, Brussels
Career Research Award, UGC
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 42
Lolitika Mandal, PhD
Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Science Education
and Research (IISER), Mohali
Lolitika Mandal is a developmental biologist who uses the fruit-fly model to
unravel several cross-talks between different blood stem cell compartments.
She aims at understanding the role of stem cells in development and disease.
Iwas born and brought up in Asansol, between different blood stem cell instill interest in the topic, we have to
West Bengal. My interest in sci- compartments, providing fundamental be the proactive link that infuses life
ence dates back to my childhood, insights into developmental and dis- and our excitement into the textbook
when my father, a physician, kindled ease scenarios. content. Instead of telling students
my sense of curiosity, a knack for facts straight from a book, teachers
observation and a thirst to explore Women need to act as individuals may need to involve students in the
the world around me. Growing up and be courageous enough to process of discovering science through
in remote coal belts and a small city take essential and crucial steps experiments or engaging with a movie
like Asansol, I could not have reached for their professional growth or a story about a discovery or the
where I am today if not for him, my discoverer.
first mentor. My family supported me Like many women, the age criteria
through all ebbs and tides. My perpet- have bothered me also as an individ- To promote women in STEM disci-
ual addiction to diving into the realms ual principal investigator in applica-
of developmental and stem cell biol- tions requiring a so-called age limit. plines, relaxing the age barrier women
ogy owes its sustenance to the sup- Achieving a balance between moth-
port of my mother, brother, husband erhood and scientific commitments face in awards, fellowship applications
and two daughters. Their encourage- has been a huge challenge for most
ment and support have helped me women and I was certainly not the or jobs can bring more people to the
achieve work-life balance. odd one out. However, with my hus-
band’s help, I could tide over them to field. Motherhood and family respon-
After a long post-doc at the University a large extent, especially during the
of California at Los Angeles, the rea- growing phase of my kids. sibility weighs one down, and most of
son to come back to India was to cre-
ate a vibrant and strong lineage of Women need to act as individuals the time, we cannot satisfy the age
students in developmental biology. In and be courageous enough to take
addition, I wanted to reach out to kids essential and crucial steps for their requirements. Maternity break or
with limited resources to help them professional growth. We must appre-
get inducted into science. At the same ciate and strengthen the bonds of childcare leave should not be taken
time, I tried my level best to provide sisterhood, and reach out to every
fundamental insights into the research woman who is worth giving a push, as a break; it is a learning experience
problem that I’m pursuing at IISER and nudge to reach the next level.
Mohali. The fruit-fly model has helped Passion is the only fuel to drive you that teaches us time management,
me unravel the several cross-talks to be a successful individual. We
need a lot of patience and an artis- multitasking and patience, and infuses
Passion is the only fuel to drive tic soul that is more stoical than one
you to be a successful individual. involved in the rat race for awards us with happiness that strengthens
and recognitions. Your kids should
Maternity break or childcare leave find a role model in you rather than our inner soul. I firmly believe that it
should not be taken as a break. focusing elsewhere.
should be classified under job expe-
Your kids should find a role I am deeply interested in contributing
model in you rather than focusing my bit to STEM education. In my opin- rience. This single bottleneck in our
elsewhere. ion, teachers have to be the bridge
between textbooks and students. To careers results in the absence of a
good representation of females in
higher positions.
Academic Profile
PhD in Cytogenetics, Banaras Hindu
University
Post-doctoral studies, University
of California, Los Angeles
Fellowships
DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance
Intermediate & Senior Fellowships
Fellow of National Academy of
Sciences
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 44
Dr M V Padma Srivastava
Professor & Head, Department of Neurology
Chief, Neurosciences Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi
Honorary Professor, University of Central Lancashire, UK
Dr M V Padma Srivastava is a Padma Shri awardee and is recognised for her work
in acute stroke care, its treatment, management and rehabilitation in India.
My life has been hugely influ- the American Stroke Association and I would recommend not requesting
enced by my doctor mother, the American Heart Association, also a privilege as a woman but working
who sailed through innumer- adopted these modifications. harder than male physicians to suc-
able setbacks and with impunity, forti- ceed. We do see Amazonian advances
tude, grit and resolve. I guess she has If a girl believes in her capabilities, in career graphs of a number of women
been my living God! strength and merit, no power in the now. We do now have role models we
world can change her conviction to can look up to. But every woman is an
I have pioneered the work on thrombol- epitome of immense patience, strength
ysis programme in acute ischemic stroke forge ahead and pursue her goal. and love—there lies the power.
in India. I initiated and implemented
the country’s first public sector acute I was instrumental in formulating the Be it government or private sectors,
stroke thrombolysis programme (Code- India Stroke Guidelines, which are gender should not define ‘choice’ or
Red) in AIIMS, New Delhi, in 2002. The now endorsed by the Indian Stroke preference. It should be based on
international guidelines for stroke man- Association. I am involved in work on merit and calibre. Only six countries
agement then had mandatory require- stem cells therapy in chronic stroke and in the world give women the same
ment of obtaining blood platelet count, multiple sclerosis. I am an active mem- legal work rights as men. Studies show
prothrombin time (PT) and international ber of the National Stroke Surveillance that if employment became a more
normalised ratio prior to administering Programme in India, the National Stroke even-playing field, it has a positive
intravenous recombinant tissue plas- Registry and the National Prevention domino effect on other areas prone
minogen activator (alteplase). This was Programmes for Non-communicable to gender inequality. Gender equality
impossible for any patient managing to Diseases of India. in work is not possible without gender
arrive at the emergency triage within equality in society.
three hours of stroke onset as obtain- I have closely observed gender biases in
ing results of these investigations within medical profession. Junior women phy- We need to empower our generations
the extremely narrow therapeutic time sicians were more vulnerable to gender
window was not possible. I redefined discrimination, pressure to excel at work, to believe in oneself. If a girl believes in
the relevance of these pre- thrombol- struggle of work-family balance and expe-
ysis investigations that further delayed rienced identity crises as competent her capabilities, strength and merit, no
and increased cost of treatment. Due to doctors and mothers. They felt them-
my work, it is no longer mandatory to selves to be isolated in multiple cultural power in the world can change her con-
perform these tests if patients could be contexts, including school ties, rankism
identified with appropriate clinical and and a culture of after-work gatherings. viction to forge ahead and pursue her
radiological criteria. In 2018, the inter-
national guidelines, including those by As a woman, we often talk about break- goal. No power should. We need fami-
ing the barriers that can be there irre-
Every win can empower; every spective of gender, age, colour, race lies and societies to change accordingly.
step forward can be a huge leap of and geographical existence. There will
faith. always be roadblocks and a glass ceil- Otherwise it is a glass half full.
ing to break. Work-life balance is more
There will always be roadblocks of a tight rope walk for a woman than Academic Profile
and a glass ceiling to break. a man—a girl should choose her life
partner well. However, tackling issues MBBS, Osmania Medical College
Work-life balance is more of a as challenges and not as impediments
tight rope walk for a woman. can help shift our attitude from nihilism MD Neurology & DM, AIIMS, Delhi
and depression to vigour, enthusiasm
Gender should not define ‘choice’ and hope. I believe challenges make life Awards
or preference. It should be based exciting. Every win can empower; every
on merit and calibre. step forward can be a huge leap of faith. Padma Shri, 2016
National Award for Science and
Technology Communication, DST,
2017
METRODORA Awards for Women
in Science Excellence, International
Alliance of Patients Organisations,
2022
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 45
Madhuri Dutta, PhD
Head, Centre for Operational and Research Excellence,
George Institute for Global Health India
Assistant Professor, Prasanna School of Public Health,
Manipal Academy of Higher Education
DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance IRMI Research Management Fellow
Madhuri Dutta is a research management professional. Her expertise is in grants and
research administration and resource mobilisation in the S&T and healthcare space.
Istumbled into research management understanding what each stakeholder Let nothing stop you, including your-
by chance. After my post-doctoral finds challenging, and co-creating work- self. Research management has fulfilled
research in the United States, my able solutions. I am also part of strategic me as a person and is a gender agnostic
family relocated to India and I wanted research development. While institu- profession, which requires one to be a
to explore options in alternate careers tional standing is the final word for me, part of strategic and resource networks
in science. With my husband’s encour- I value individuals who sincerely work and reach out to different people for
agement, I joined the Hyderabad towards institutional growth as well. inspiration and collaboration. Connect
office of the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Hence, I aim to serve both. Research with mentors and enjoy the journey of
Alliance as a grants adviser, attracted management has made me more a research manager.
by the opportunity to read cutting-edge confident and resilient as a person.
research proposals and be part of a Also, being part of the India Research I have taken breaks in my career, I have
vibrant research ecosystem in India. Management Initiative (IRMI) network had periods of self- doubt, taken risks,
The passion and out-of-the-box think- has opened professional doors. made a fool of myself, laughed it off,
ing of the early, mid-career and senior fallen down and gotten up. These have
researchers I witnessed at interview I have taken breaks in my enriched my life and made it more
meetings amazed me. This job helped career, I have had periods of livable.
me organise myself to meet tight dead- self- doubt, taken risks, made
lines, be professional in my bearings a fool of myself, laughed it off, Most research institutions I have
and empathic to my surroundings. Best fallen down and gotten up.
of all, it helped me realise my skills and worked in have more women in the
interest in research facilitation. The right contribution of research man-
agers lies in increasing human capacity. early to mid-career workforce but not
My work at the India Alliance made Their value is in working with research-
me realise the huge efforts required in ers and supporting division colleagues in leadership positions. STEM policies
developing and submitting high-quality at a one-to-one level and helping them
research applications for funding. The realise their true potential. My greatest need to create mentorship opportuni-
success rates are low and can get any- satisfaction also has been to support
one disheartened. A large part of my and work with early and mid-career ties and avenues for women to be in
job is to help researchers tide over peri- researchers and help them succeed in
ods of disappointment, till they can take their career path. leadership positions. Mentors can be
their learnings forward and develop
great applications again. I have faced ‘interesting’ experiences as established professionals, both women
a research manager; however, these are
I am involved now in streamlining pro- perhaps faced by all genders in this pro- and men, who can guide youngsters in
cesses and resources so that research fession. There have been times where
runs smoothly at my institute. This my scientific inputs have been dis- STEM. I think that men need to be part
requires bringing together research- missed simply because I am an admin-
ers and other supporting divisions and istrator. Over the years I have built my of all these initiatives, right from school
strength in not letting others define
Without changing societal think- who I am. I am completely cognizant of too. Without changing societal thinking
ing as a whole, we cannot uplift my strengths and my weaknesses and
only a single gender. hence I have voiced my inputs, opin- as a whole, we cannot uplift only a sin-
ions, suggestions as necessary irrespec-
Be a part of strategic and resource tive of what others think. It is important gle gender.
networks and reach out to people not to give up on oneself.
for inspiration and collaboration. Academic Profile
BSc, MES College of Arts, Science
and Commerce, Bengaluru
MSc, St. John’s Post-Graduate
College, Bangalore University
PhD in Biochemistry & Molecular
Biology, Indian Institute of Chemical
Biology, Kolkata
Fellowship
IRMI Fellow, 2020-2023
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 46
Mahua Mukherjee, PhD
Professor, Department of Architecture and Planning
Joint Faculty, Centre of Excellence in Disaster Mitigation and Management
Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, IIT Roorkee
Mahua Mukherjee is involved in building capacity in architecture and disaster
management. She is the secretary general of the South Asia Alliance for
Disaster Resilience Institutes (SAADRI).
My family instilled the impor- and training at M/s Ghosh, Bose and I feel inter- and multi-discipline exposure
tance of education in us right Associates made me understand archi- of students is necessary for success-
when we were young kids. My tecture in real time. ful professionals. Aptitude evaluation
mother taught me simple lifestyle and should be given due priority during
value system that helped in professional Women in architecture must STEM admission process. In architec-
life as well. My primary school teachers learn to equally enjoy the comfort ture and disaster risk management edu-
taught us with care, sensitivity and fos- cation, hand-holding from industries can
tered understanding of fundamental of an outdoor construction site change the professional capacity spec-
concepts in science. Arun K Roy Sir can and an indoor office space. trum. Sectors like construction, architec-
be singled out in his effort to bring the ture –structure-MEP consulting services,
best out of me. Interest in ‘building physics’ brought me municipal departments and government
to IIT Roorkee that turned out to be a disaster management—can work closer
I was addicted to story books, history holistic experience. Later, I joined JU as with architecture professionals and aca-
and travelogues, which generated a a research fellow where association with demia to bring improved sustainability.
lot of fascinating mental images about Prof. Santosh K Ghosh of Centre for
building spaces and structures. My sec- Built Environment, Kolkata, influenced My inner challenges have troubled me
ondary school premises and its build- me to look at research questions differ- more than challenges imposed by oth-
ings imprinted an impression on me to ently. My supervisors—Prof. Monideep ers; and this journey continues. For
acknowledge activity-spaces, interplay Chatterjee and Prof. S R Bhattacharyya, women I have a simple advice: do con-
of pond, playfields, trees and buildings, Biman Chakroborty and D N Guha sider your talent and aptitude with your
materials. My neighbourhood provided Majumder, PhD—have their share in pro- inner quality of compassion and sensi-
perspectives about settlement prob- moting my research endeavours. During tivity and resolve to shine at your best
lems and liveability. my PhD, interactions with Ranajit Gupta in whichever endeavour you plunge into.
and Prof. Santosh Ghosh exposed me
It took months for me to internalise to professional ethics and nurtured my For those interested in architecture,
the ambience of Jadavpur University passion for architecture pedagogy.
(JU), its main building and history, I would advise to start preparing your-
layout, departments, classes, work- As a faculty at IIT Roorkee, interac-
shops, sports facilities and amenities. tions with students on subjects like self to render a professional service.
Faculty and seniors alike helped to climatology, construction and struc-
grasp the fundamentals and nuances ture opened new vistas for me. Seismic Women in architecture must learn to
of architecture. Samaresh Mukherjee, safety became a new learning from
Ramen Dutta and Chandrashekhar giants like A S Arya, D K Paul, S K Jain, equally enjoy the comfort of an out-
Bhattacharyya were my mentors who C V R Murthy. Professors from Wind-
taught me the meaning and scope of Lab, Prem Krishna, Krishan Kumar and door construction site and an indoor
architecture. Construction site visits A K Gairola, accommodated me in
their research team. I continue to be office space.
Consider your talent and aptitude involved in multi- and inter-disciplinary
with your inner quality of compas- knowledge building and dissemination, Academic Profile
sion and sensitivity. capacity building through workshops
and research seminars. I spent three BArch & PhD, Jadavpur University
Resolve to shine at your best in all months with the Disaster Prevention
endeavours. Research Institute in Kyoto University ME Building Science & Technology,
in 2016 as a visiting associate profes- IIT Roorkee
Inter- and multi-discipline expo- sor. Each such project or stint helped
sure of students is necessary to be me grow in my craft. SAADRI started in Fellowships & Memberships
successful professionals. 2020 on IIT Roorkee platform.
Fulbright Fellowship
SIDA Fellowship, Lund University,
Sweden
Member of Global Alliance of
Disaster Research Institutes; Indian
Society of Earthquake Technology,
IIT Roorkee; Council of Architecture,
New Delhi; Indian Roads Congress
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 47
Megha, PhD
Associate Professor, Centre for Ayurveda Biology and Holistic Nutrition
Trans-Disciplinary University (TDU), Bengaluru
Former Grants & Programme Manager, Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance
Megha is trying to establish innovative courses in the area of public health and
nutrition. She is trying to merge Ayurveda and nutritional biochemistry in the area
of food and diet and is spearheading a new Ayurveda Biology PG programme at TDU.
Iwas lucky to have Prof. Erwin London My training is in laboratory science, but ageism is a major problem in Indian
as my PhD supervisor. The training I am deeply fascinated by nutrition. science, especially academia. While
in his lab set me up for a lifetime of Hence, to straddle two areas, I first I was looking for a place to start as an
experimentation and taught me the obtained a degree in Public Health independent principal investigator,
value of kindness. Later, I was men- Nutrition and at TDU, and got involved it was implicit that age was an issue.
tored by Prof. Anuradha Lohia, who in a community health project. My role My administrative experience was not
gave me the confidence to recognise was in communications, yet it taught me considered a plus. Further, Indian aca-
my talents as well as introduced me to a lot about working with people and how demia is besotted with foreign-trained
science administration and policy. Prof. to do translational work. Here, I am most scientists. Indigenous training should
Gaiti Hasan provided me the space to proud of the things we designed to help be considered a plus, but unfortunately,
explore bench science after I had a people adopt long-term health practices. it’s actively discriminated against.
break in my career. While finishing up
my postdoc in her lab, I had the chance Build a network of friends who We need to remove age brackets in all
to develop my interest in combining celebrate your achievements, science related matters–hiring, grants,
lab science and public health. hold your hand when things fail prizes. This is hampering the growth of
and give you critical feedback. women or anyone who decides to take a
At a Young Investigator’s Meeting in different path. Ageism punishes creative
2018, Dr Gagandeep Kang spoke to Since 2019, I have been working at people, who choose to make family com-
me for a few hours on projects that TDU, where over the last two years, mitments a priority. There is no scope
can have an impact on public health I have run a collaborative programme for lateral entry in Indian academia; and
nutrition. This gave me the impe- with Ayurveda physicians called the as a result, the ecosystem loses out.
tus to start on something that could ‘Ayurveda Dietetics Programme’. This
be translational. I also got a waiver academic programme provides knowl- Thus for women in research, the road
from Purnima Menon, PhD, at the edge seekers a way to understand is long. Build a network of friends who
International Food Policy Research dietetic advice in Ayurveda, and impor- celebrate your achievements, hold your
Institute to attend a policy workshop tantly, how it can be imagined in terms of hand when things fail and give you crit-
on nutrition. This opened my eyes to modern biochemistry, food systems and ical feedback. You have to carve your
how biology and policy need to inter- nutrition. Although still in its infancy, the own path. The advice people offer is
sect for laboratory-based discovery to programme seeks to create a scientific based on personal experiences and,
help communities. workforce that will understand both the sometimes, prejudice. Claim your space,
sciences--a need of the hour in India. believe in yourself and look for ways to
We need to remove age brack- make circumstances work for you. If one
ets in all science related matters– The greatest threats to STEM educa- tries, there are always solutions.
hiring, grants, prizes. tion are competitive exams and coach-
ing classes. Together, these drive school Academic Profile
Claim your space, believe in your- students to only prepare for multiple
self and look for ways to make cir- choice questions and facts. That is a MSc, IIT Bombay
cumstances work for you. pity! STEM fields, above all, recognise
that humankind is innately curious. The PhD, Stony Brook University, New York
Indigenous training in Indian aca- biggest disservice we are doing as edu-
demia should be considered a plus, cators is to somehow suppress this fun- ePostgraduate Diploma in Public
but unfortunately, it’s actively dis- damental feeling. This must change. Health Nutrition, PHFI
criminated against.
Though I have never faced any strong Senior Fellow, University of
Ageism is a major problem in Indian gender bias in my career, yet I feel Washington, USA
science, especially academia.
Awards
Early Career Award from DBT/
Wellcome Trust India Alliance
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 48
Millie Pant, PhD
Professor & Head, Department of Applied Mathematics &
Scientific Computing, IIT Roorkee
Millie Pant is a mathematician who leads her research in numerical
optimisation, evolutionary algorithms, swarm intelligence,
nature inspired algorithms and supply chain management.
Iwas born in Lucknow and com- educated and independent. They particular field. I would advise women
pleted my schooling and university participated in taking decisions at to be passionate about their work and
studies from Meerut. My parents home and their opinions were given they should keep reinventing them-
have been my biggest source of inspi- due importance. selves to match up with the dynamics
ration. They wholeheartedly sup- of the field they are in.
ported all my decisions and offered Young women should not hesitate
suggestions and advice whenever in expressing their views and Being a STEM educator, my observa-
needed. They guided all crucial steps actively participate in every tions will not be very different from
of my life, but at the same time, decision-making process others in the field. The focus now
taught me to take my own decisions, of their organisation. most of the time is on theory while
to have confidence in my decisions teaching STEM subjects, sufficient
and to work on those. Though the words like female empow- importance should be given to the
erment were never a topic of discus- practical aspects of STEM subjects.
I was fortunate enough to be sur- sion in the family, it was always visible, STEM should be taught by considering
rounded by supportive siblings, friends whether it was my maternal grand- real-life scenarios where STEM tech-
and colleagues who encouraged me mother, who single-handedly raised nologies will be useful.
at every step in all possible ways that her daughters after the death of my
helped me turn a successful career grandfather, or an aunt of mine, who The syllabus should contain case stud-
woman. Never in my life have I ever cracked the University of Roorkee
faced a problem being a woman. entrance exam and went to the North ies and projects to help appreciate and
East for a government job.
In my family from both sides, the learn the subjects. To promote women
number of females exceeds the num- I have published more than 200
ber of male members. All the females papers in journals and conferences. in STEM, the government must launch
of my family, including my grand- I have guided 14 PhD students and
mothers from both sides, were well more than 6,000 citations have been more schemes, keeping in mind the
noted. I have been featured as one
Women must be passionate about of the most cited researchers. I have needs and requirements of women
their work and keep reinventing completed three projects at the
themselves. national level and four research proj- that include dignity, safety and secu-
ects at international level.
Sincerity, hard work and dedica- rity at the workplace. Webinars and
tion are the keys to success in any I would advise next-gen women to be
field. self-assured. They should not hesitate lectures should be held from time to
in expressing their views and actively
STEM should be taught by tak- participate in every decision-mak- time on sensitive issues like gender
ing into consideration the real-life ing process of their organisation.
scenarios. Sincerity, hard work and dedication ethics in the workplace.
ensure success in any field. One needs
Webinars should be held on sensi- to inculcate these traits and follow Academic Profile
tive issues like gender ethics in the them religiously to be successful in a
workplace. BSc, MSc Mathematics, CCS
University, Meerut
PhD in Mathematics, IIT Roorkee
Awards
Best Paper Premium Award, Smart
Media and Applications (SMA) 2020,
Jeju, South Korea
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 49
Mira Mitra, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering,
IIT Kharagpur
Former Associate Professor, IIT Bombay
Mira Mitra is an aerospace researcher who works on
structural health monitoring of aircrafts and other
aerospace vehicles to ensure safer flights.
Iwas born in Kharagpur, where in civil engineering from Jadavpur person has her very own aptitude and
I spent my childhood and school University, Kolkata, in 2001. should have the support and encour-
days in the railway colony of South agement to pursue it.
Eastern Railways. I did my schooling Gender has nothing to do
from Hijli High School. I have grown about whether a person likes As I said earlier, science and technology
up watching my grandparents spend- know no gender. Irrespective of certain
ing most of their time reading books. mathematics, humanities, beliefs, a woman can excel in STEM as
My grandfather used to read to me sports or music. anyone else. There are umpteen num-
works of great poets and writers and ber of illustrious example of women
that inspired me strongly. I developed I joined the department of aerospace in STEM, and fortunately, the number
a keen interest in reading and expand engineering at the Indian Institute is increasing. My advice to next-gen
my knowledge. of Science, Bengaluru, in the same women who wish to be in leadership
year for my master’s degree course roles is to just stay motivated and never
Since my childhood, I have read a lot and completed my PhD in 2007 from lose focus.
of biographies of influential leaders, there. I then joined a faculty position at
scientists, social and business icons, IIT Bombay. To attract more women into STEM
and have been left awestruck by them.
These stories of people who did things My stint with teaching has allowed me careers, government and private sector
differently and sought excellence in to experience that STEM curricula are
everything they had done kept me a bit heavier on theory. I feel there policies must focus on increasing the
motivated to pursue excellence and should be more practical aspects to it
contribute in however small capacity to and hands-on and project components number of women in leadership roles.
the society. should be included.
Younger girl students should meet
My mother was extremely particular I enjoy my career, a blend of teach-
that I took my studies seriously and ing and research. I work on structural more women leaders to stay motivated
always told me how important it is for health monitoring of aircraft and other
a girl to be independent financially and aerospace vehicles. It is a technology and not feel out of place.
emotionally. I did my bachelor’s degree for online monitoring of the integrity of
aerospace vehicles for safer flights. Academic Profile
Read biographies of influential
leaders, scientists, social and busi- I have known people being surprised BE Civil Engineering, Jadavpur
ness icons. at me being an aerospace scientist, University, Kolkata
mostly because they think it is not
A woman can excel in STEM as what bright women students would MSc, PhD in Aerospace Engineering,
anyone else. do. I have always disliked this type Indian Institute of Science,
casting of women in the professional Bengaluru
Stay motivated and never lose world. Gender has nothing to do about
focus. whether a person likes mathematics, Awards & Fellowship
humanities, sports or music. Every
DST-SERB Women Excellence
Award
Young Engineer Awards from Indian
National Academy of Engineering
(INAE) & Institution of Engineers
(India).
INAE Fellow, 2021
Women in STEM: Vanguards of India@75 50
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