Over the decades, many of India’s eminent women scientists have not got the recognition they deserve. It’s 2020 however, and it’s also never too late to make amends.
To that end, the Ministries of Science and Technology and Women and Child Development will set up chairs in honour of 11 iconic women scientists in institutes across India.
According to The Times of India, the scientists identified are from the early 20th Century. The fields of research range from organic chemistry to social sciences. This is honestly an initiative that’s been a long time coming, and what better period to do it in than the run up to International Women’s Day.
Only women researchers will be able to take up chair positions, which entails research funds up to Rs 1 crore. The move is sure to encourage further participation by women in our society in the sciences.
The 11 identified women scientists are – cytogeneticist Archana Sharma, botanist Janaki Ammal, organic scientist Darshan Ranganatham, chemist Asima Chatterjee, doctor Kadambini Ganguly, anthropologist Iravati Karve, meteorologist Anna Mani, engineer Rajeshwari Chatterjee, mathematician Raman Parimala, physicist Bibha Chowdhuri and biomedical researcher Kamal Ranadive.
Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said she hoped that this honours the legacy of these women and also inspires young girls to follow in their paths.
The 11 chairs will be set up for a period of 5 years, and can be extended based on requirements. It’s heartening to see that these women, who contributed so much to India’s progress but didn’t get the recognition they deserved, be honoured for their work.