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Stories From Rukhmabai Edition 4
Soothing hands behind SNEHA’s suicide prevention mission
By Rohini Murugan
Dr Lakshmi Vijayakumar brings back the distressed from the brink of death through her NGO that offers timely psychological support, campaigns to decriminalise suicides, and implements pesticide locker rooms to restrict farmer suicides
Following the sun: How a zig-zag journey led her to Aditya-L1
By Angana Chakrabarti
One of the lead investigators of a team studying sunspot waves on India’s first solar observation mission, astrophysicist Aishawnnya Sharma will decode data, which will help with space weather forecasting, safeguard satellites and communication systems, and deepen our understanding of the Sun’s magnetic dynamics
They belong in the lab, not the kitchen: Meet the food scientists fighting India's nutrition crisis
By Safeena Wani and Sumayyah Qureshi
Fighting the stubborn stereotype of being called home cooks, these women are now recognised food scientists on a mission to combat hunger, food insecurity and ensure the health of patients in hospitals as clinical dietitians
A portrait of a scientist, as an administrator
By Bharti Dharapuram
Dr Jyotsna Dhawan’s career spanning close to three decades is not just about tackling scientific questions related to stem cells. It is also about dealing with institutional structures, working for institution’s sustenance, and going about with the routine management tasks.
The long haul: Life in science with a chronic illness
By Bharti Dharapuram
A peek into the lives of women researchers who persisted in their academic quest despite battling chronic illnesses for years
She does more than stop and smell the flowers
By Bharti Dharapuram
Geetha Ramaswami leads the SeasonWatch programme, which uses the power of citizen science to understand how trees respond to changing seasons
When AI models reinforce gender disparities, women rewrite the algorithm
By Saishya Duggal
Artificial intelligence recruiting tools have been found to prefer men unfavourably, while large language models have demonstrated a tendency to reinforce gender biases, associating women with caregiving roles and men with professional success.
This botanist from Kerala builds a bryophyte brigade for the Western Ghats
By Rekha Pulinnoli
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
By Yams Srikanth
Dr Renee Borges draws from chemistry, behaviour and ecology to interrogate how organisms perceive the world and make their decisions
Catch ‘em young: why early impressions of science matter
By Yams Srikanth
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
A pioneer in cost-effective, eco-friendly solutions for water purification
By Angana Chakrabarti
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
The one who believes in mentorship beyond research
By Disha Tandon
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
The woman scientist behind India’s first geothermal pilot
By Safeena Wani
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
Chasing the dream of growing best quality saffron
By Sumayyah Qureshi
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
STEM education: Think of disability as diversity, not deficit
By Shikha Sharma
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
Meet the turtle woman on the banks of Chandragiri
By Kanishka Puri
Ayushi Jain has developed a network of local conservationists of critically endangered Cantor’s giant softshell turtle in Kerala’s Kasaragod district
Ensuring genetic well-being of all is the core of Prof Thelma's research
By Nishtha Bhargava
The overarching vision that drives the work of renowned geneticist and genomics expert Professor BK Thelma is the paradigm of predictive, preventive, personalised and participatory medicine
STEM Collectives: Sisters are doin’ it for themselves
By Anagha Pavithran
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
From urban slums to rural schools, this geneticist and teacher got kids curious about science
By Aditi Subramaniam
Sparking scientific temper using affordable tools and helping students learn by observing their surroundings make Sonali Kadam’s teaching style interesting and unique
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Stories From Rukhmabai Edition 3
Championing women in STEM through actionable research
By Sreshtha Mondal
The Head of Education Programme at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Anitha Kurup has done extensive research on education, particularly on women in STEM, to pioneer initiatives and policy changes in that field.
Foraminifera is her favourite proxy to study oceanographic processes
By Kanishka Puri
Dr Rajani Panchang utilises the enormous potential of these single-celled organisms to trap the signatures of past climates in her research to plan and manage ecosystems for the future
At the intersection of social activism, political art and technology
By Aditi Subramanian
A high-end bot with a special focus on vernacular languages and safety of marginalised communities, Aindriya Barua’s ShorrAI can identify and remove online hate speech in Hinglish
This forensic scientist hunts down the story behind every crime
By Shikha Sharma
Dr Shaloo Malik has handled nearly 18,000 cases in the last 25 years of her service at the Forensic Science Lab in Jodhpur. “You have to find the story from the specimens.”
This interdisciplinary psychologist explores mind-body problems
By Nishtha Bhargava
Belonging to neither discipline, but relevant everywhere is the crux of cognitive scientist Dr Varsha Singh’s work, where engineers, biologists and psychologists study how a patient’s cognitive abilities are affected by diseases or injuries
Innovative approaches put her air pollution research into top gear
By Shikha Sharma
Dr Gazala Habib never imagined she would be a scientist one day. She recalls entertaining the idea of becoming one while watching the 1969 Bollywood spy thriller Yakeen at her home in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, but the moment was short-lived.
This accidental entrepreneur bets on microalgae for net-zero transition
By Gowthami Subramaniam
From a researcher to an entrepreneur, Dr Jikku Jose has many achievements to her credit. Born and brought up at Kanjirappally in Kottayam district of Kerala, her eco-conscious father fostered her interest in science.
Trailblazer at the forefront of India’s battle against COVID-19
By Sneha Khedkar
Dr Minal Dakhave Bhosale’s passion for public health burned bright from an early age. This led her to become the driving force behind the development of a groundbreaking COVID-19 testing kit at a young age of 33.
From emulsified fuel to protein bars, sustainability drives her innovations
By Shailaja Tiwale
Dr Jyotsna Waghmare’s fuel promises to reduce carbon dioxide and particulate matter emissions from vehicles, whereas the protein bars from oil cakes and artificial production of Medium-Chain Triglycerides help boost nutrition levels
Exploring the depths: The adventures of a marine biologist
By Sanjana Chevalam and Pragya Solanki
Driven by an endless curiosity and a sense of adventure, Prerana Gawde juggles many roles — marine biologist, professional diver and one of the few female underwater researchers in India
Women left out of drug research, clinical trials
By Sneha Khedkar
Prescribing medicines without conducting experiments on female animals is causing more harm than good to women, resulting in administration of wrong medicines to them
Sustainability and rural empowerment drive this geneticist
By Shailaja Tiwale
Dr Chanda Nimbkar’s contributions to animal breeding, notably in enhancing the genetic features of local sheep and goats, have greatly improved the livelihoods of people from rainfed areas of rural Maharashtra
This millennial doctor demystifies sexual, reproductive health through Instagram
By Sneha Khedkar
With over one million people following her Instagram handle @dr_cuterus, Dr Tanaya Narendra has been making best use of the online space to educate people on all aspects of reproductive biology
Fighting in the dark: How ASHAs in Bihar strive to keep kala-azar at bay
By Saumya Kalia
She reposed trust in plants to tide over tough days in foreign lab
By Gowthami Subramaniam
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Stories From Rukhmabai Edition 2
Space for all is Sakshi Sharma’s motto in life
By Punita Maheshwari
The 26-year-old science communicator helps people see space science in a new light by simplifying complex jargon, besides promoting gender inclusivity at the next human frontier.
Doctorate and diapers: How women navigate PhD and parenthood
By Priyamvada Kowshik
How successful they are rests heavily on enabling institutional systems, social/familial support and gender-sensitive policies
Being one of only a few: Women in IITs, IISERs
By Saloni Mehta
What happens to the women who make it to these institutes against all odds? Lack of peer groups and mentorship, compounded by sexism, make for a long struggle.
Meet five women who became entrepreneurs by choice, not by chance
By Sahana Sitaraman
Balancing both professional and personal commitments is no cakewalk. Family support and valuable mentorship have built a small pool of women leaders, but they make up only 13% of the entrepreneurs in the country.
An inclusive DIY guide to diagnosing developmental delays in children
By Priyamvada Kowshik
Dr Supriya Bhavnani’s research attempts to empower non-specialist community health workers to detect neurodevelopmental delays in young children
Promoting gender parity in science, one step at a time
By Sahana Sitaraman
A condensed matter physicist at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Bengaluru, Prof Sumathi Rao has played an important role in making academic spaces in India more accessible to people of all identities.
Aliya Mir: A life in service of wild animals
By Sehar Qazi
A postgraduate in Mathematics, she found her true calling in rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife, besides spreading awareness on the need to tackle man-animal conflicts. She is the only female wildlife rescuer in Jammu and Kashmir
Meet India’s famous herpetologist who discovered 50 frog species
By Punita Maheshwari
Dr Sonali Garg’s journey is full of night ventures into the dense forest of the Western Ghats, Northeast India, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Outside the country, her scientific forays extend to Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand
The small town girl behind the scenes in Pfizer’s vaccine rollout
By Saloni Mehta
The Director of External Supply at biotech giant Pfizer, Poonam Mulherkar’s focus is unshakeable and her training in the production of high-standard pharmaceutical processes permeates her articulations and her actions alike.
Dr Harini Nagendra: Ecologist by profession, writer by passion
By Nita Shashidharan
The director of the Research Centre and the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability at Azim Premji University, Harini has been leading research on land change and sustainability issues of forests, lakes, and cities in India and globally.
Wired to think differently: How determination can turn disability into asset
By Sahana Sitaraman
Despite having profound hearing loss from birth, Dr Mahita Jarjapu never let anything, or anyone, stop her from pursuing her dreams. Today, she works in the US as a scientist addressing questions in immunology.
The sky is everyone’s laboratory
By Priyamvada Kowshik
Astrophysicist Prajval Shastri is equally preoccupied with her efforts to make the discipline of physics more inclusive, as she is with her studies on black holes
BMC's first woman director, Archana Achrekar builds an inclusive legacy
By Poorvi Gupta
From delayed promotions to men who refused to take orders, Archana Achrekar has fought several gender biases and paved the way for more women employees at the municipal corporation.
How this army doctor realised that kitchen is a battlefield for most rural women
By Rina Mukherji
From Maharashtra’s villages to Indo-Pak borders, Dr Monica Barne’s work in medicine has taken her many places. But over the past two decades, her contribution to creating awareness on pulmonary diseases remains the pinnacle of her work.
Despite progress, fieldwork remains a stumbling block for Indian women in science
By Sharmila Vaidyanathan
Women in the industry elucidate the slew of challenges they face while conducting research on field and how science is still perceived as a man’s world
Professor Vidita Vaidya: of being resilient and the science of resilience
By Saloni Mehta
She leads her life and undertakes her scientific endeavour— both with an incredible curiosity, occasional struggles, an honesty, and a remarkable fighting spirit
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Stories From Rukhmabai Edition 1
Holding space as a lesbian trans woman in STEM
By Aisiri Amin
Dr Mani recalls how her early days in academia, where she faced exclusion and daily microaggressions on account of her trans identity, shaped her research style.
“If you are the only woman in the room, so what?”
By Damayanti Datta
Technologist, inventor, innovator, entrepreneur, Geetha Manjunath, harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to detect lurking disorders—from breast cancer to COVID-19.
Calling out gender bias in STEM
By Aisiri Amin
From very early on, Dr Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan became aware of the passive yet glaring ways in which women in academia were being held back. So she co-founded BiasWatchIndia to bring in some accountability.
Addressing Gender Disparities in
STEM
By Aisiri Amin
A lowdown on the implicit and explicit biases that follow women from school to the lab, its impact on the individual and the community and some solutions that need to be actioned to make science a safe space.
She walks into the wild to tend to the beasts
By Varsha Singh
To get to the tigers, elephants and leopards, Dr Aditi Sharma, senior veterinarian and wildlife health specialist at the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, had to first traverse the unforgiving world of men.
“For me, it’s all been about the love of science.”
By Damayanti Datta
Scientist and entrepreneur, Jugnu Jain, has set up one of the most ambitious projects of 21st century biomedical sciences in India – biobanking – that promises a new paradigm in our war on dreaded diseases
Sticks and stones may break my bones but...
By Shuchita Jha
‘Lady geologist’ Debjani Raychaudhuri never allowed the harsh realities of field work to deter her from exploring and mapping the most remote corners of the country.
The good fight: Battling prejudices and parasites
By Rina Mukerji
Overcoming patriarchy and entrenched gender roles, Dr Dipika Sur has carved a niche for herself in medical research, heading several critical epidemiological studies on diseases afflicting countries like India.
Amidst the conflict, a conservationist bats for biodiversity
By Hirra Azmat
Mehreen Khaleel believes in the importance of educating children on nature conservation as she tackles hurdles posed by lack of funds and conceptualises women’s role in furthering the cause
Rural women create niche brand in LED lighting
By Varsha Singh
Kamalpreet Kaur’s entrepreneurial venture in rural Uttarakhand is training housewives to become electrical engineers.
The journey of ‘Stork Sister’: Pioneering a community-conservation movement
By Priyanka Shankar
Dr Purnima Devi Barman grew up around the dull grey-feathered Greater Adjutant Stork, a ‘bad omen’ bird with a rather ill-favoured look. But slowly she taught her community to accept and conserve the endangered species.
The scientist revolutionising paddy cultivation in Kashmir
By Safeena Wani
Combining her expertise in paddy varieties and her background in incorporating weather forecasts in cultivation, agricultural scientist Dr Raihana Kanth is bringing about real change in how agriculture is practised in the Valley.