Dr Manju C Nair shines a light on the little-known world of bryology, identifies 24 new species, and attracts new blood to the subject that no one in South India quite heeded before
For me, it was never an issue of what to do. Everything was fascinating
Dr Renee Borges draws from chemistry, behaviour and ecology to interrogate how organisms perceive the world and make their decisions
Chasing the dream of growing best quality saffron
Ensuring quality plant material, establishing proper irrigation methods and developing a rot-resistant saffron corm are the top priorities of Dr Nasheeman Ashraf, a principal scientist at the Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory at IIIM Srinagar
The woman scientist behind India’s first geothermal pilot
Kunzes Dolma’s relentless efforts to better the lives of people of Ladakh by improving energy accessibility have led to ONGC’s Puga Valley Geothermal Project, a one-of-its-kind initiative in India
Yana Bagbi: a pioneer in cost-effective, eco-friendly solutions for water purification
The first woman from Arunachal Pradesh to receive a PhD in physics, Yana developed biocompatible nanoparticles for lead remediation and characterised low-cost bamboo-activated carbon nanoparticles to remove fluoride ions from water
Catch ‘em young: why early impressions of science matter
There is a gender gap in choosing science, with girls more likely to opt for non-STEM streams after class 10 — an idea shaped partly by wrong perception of one’s ability, lack of women role models and biased classroom interactions of teachers
The one who believes in mentorship beyond research
Dr Nita Parekh juggles physics and computational biology with ease, and has been instrumental in building the MTech course in bioinformatics at the International Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad
From urban slums to rural schools, this geneticist and teacher got kids curious about science
Ayushi Jain has developed a network of local conservationists of critically endangered Cantor’s giant softshell turtle in Kerala’s Kasaragod district
STEM Collectives: Sisters are doin’ it for themselves
In the uneven playing field of academia and research, women are now empowering women through mentoring collectives that connect experienced people with those seeking guidance and support in education, entrepreneurship and personal growth
STEM education: Think of disability as diversity, not deficit
Very few differently-abled students opt for higher education in STEM due to the visual approach of teaching, practicals, lack of scientific terms and vocabulary in the Indian Sign Language, and physical barriers linked to accessibility and transportation, among others