Context-
- Indian government is emphasizing to increase women participation in STEM in collaboration with NASA and various other global organization.
STATUS OF WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN THE SCIENCE SECTOR
- According to the All India Survey on Higher Education 2020-2021,
- Number of science researchers in India has doubled from 30,000 in 2014 to over 60,000 in 2022.
- Women's participation is the highest in biotechnology at 40% and medicine at 35%.
INITIATIVES TAKEN FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE
- Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI): - To develop a comprehensive Charter and a framework for assessing Gender Equality in STEM.
- Vigyan Jyoti Scheme: -To create a level-playing field for the meritorious girls in high school to pursue STEM in their higher education.
- Indo-US Fellowship for Women in STEMM (WISTEMM) program: - Women scientists can work in research labs in the US.
- Consolidation of University Research for Innovation and Excellence in Women Universities (CURIE) Programme: - Improving R&D infrastructure and establishing state-of-the-art research facilities in order to create excellence in S&T in women universities.
Women who shaped India’s scientific history
Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi (1865-1887)
- First Indian female to study and graduate with a degree in western medicines from the United States.
- Believed to be the first women to set foot on American soil from India.
Kadambini Ganguly (1861-1923)
- Becomes India's first female doctor & practitioner of western medicine in the whole South Asia.
Bibha Chowdhary (1913-1991)
- First woman high energy physicist of India and the first woman scientist at the TFIR.
- IAU honoured her by naming a white yellow dwarf star after her name.
Edavaleth Kakkat Janaki Ammal (1897-1984)
- Made significant contributions to genetics, evolution, phytogeography and ethnobotany.
- First director of the Central Botanical laboratory at Allahabad.
Kamal Ranadive (1917-2001)
- Established India's first tissue culture research laboratory at the Indian Research Centre in Mumbai.
Debala Mitra (1925-2003)
- First Indian archaeologist served as Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India.
Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay
- She has been conferred the Padma Shri in 2022. She is the first woman director of the Indian Statistical Institute.
Ms. Sujatha Ramdorai
- She was awarded the Padma shri award in 2023.
- She became the first Indian to win the prestigious ICTP Ramanujan Prize in 2006.
- She was also awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, the highest honour in scientific fields by the Indian Government in 2004.
- She is also the recipient of the 2020 Krieger-Nelson Prize for her exceptional contributions to mathematics research