The Invisible Pillars of India’s Innovation
Dr Ritika Mansotra
ritikamansotra444@gmail.com
On 10 November, observed globally as World Science Day for Peace and Development, India celebrates its remarkable scientific achievements- from the Chandrayaan-3 lunar triumph to advances in biotechnology, agriculture, and climate innovation. These milestones strengthen our resolve to become a global scientific hub. Yet amidst this celebration lies an uncomfortable truth: India’s scientific story is incomplete without the women who helped build it, and whose contributions have too often remained in the shadows.
Our national scientific narrative frequently highlights names such as C.V. Raman, Homi Bhabha, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, M.S. Swaminathan, and Vikram Sarabhai- giants whose legacies shaped modern India. Their contributions deserve full honour. But standing beside them are equally brilliant women scientists whose work transformed Indian science, while receiving far less recognition. Among them, Dr. Janaki Ammal, a pioneering botanist who revolutionized plant genetics; Dr. Asima Chatterjee, whose research laid foundations for anti-cancer and anti-malarial drugs; and Dr. Kamala Sohonie, the first Indian woman to earn a PhD in science after overcoming deep-seated institutional gender barriers.
These women are pillars of Indian science- yet their visibility does not match their impact. While male scientists have been historically celebrated, documented, and institutionally honoured, many pioneering women remain footnotes in history. This imbalance is systemic, not incidental.
The statistics reflect the reality. Women constitute ~43% of STEM students in higher education, one of the highest proportions globally. But when it comes to research positions and leadership roles, the number falls sharply. Only ~18% of scientists in major research institutions are women, and very few hold top leadership positions. This gap does not reflect a lack of talent – but a lack of structural support, opportunity, and recognition.
Why does this gap persist? Women in Indian science routinely face barriers less common for their male peers- career breaks due to care-giving responsibilities, limited access to leadership and decision-making bodies, gender bias in hiring and promotion, restricted visibility in scientific media and history, and persistent social stereotypes.
Dr. Kamala Sohonie once said, “I was told research is not for women- that only made me more determined.” Her words, spoken decades ago, still echo across our laboratories today.
If India aims for global scientific leadership, empowering women scientists is not symbolic- it is a strategic necessity. Equally important is cultural transformation: a young girl must grow up seeing a scientist not only as a man in a lab coat, but also as a woman leading a space mission, heading a genome research centre, discovering a new plant pathogen, or shaping climate policy.
Today, young women across laboratories, universities, start-ups, and research institutes are breaking barriers every day. India’s scientific future will be brighter and more innovative when women have equal seats at the table- not just as contributors, but as leaders.
World Science Day reminds us that true progress rests on fairness and inclusion. India’s scientific journey- vibrant, ambitious, and globally admired- will reach its full potential only when every bright mind receives equal support and visibility.
The question is not whether women can lead India’s scientific future- they already are. The question is whether we will recognise them, support them, and open doors for every girl who dreams of discovering, innovating, and shaping a better world.
India’s scientific rise will be truly complete when the names of women scientists stand at the forefront of history, not its margins. Names like Dr. Asima Chatterjee, Dr. Ritu Karidhal (ISRO’s “Rocket Woman”), Dr. Tessy Thomas (India’s “Missile Woman”), Dr. Janaki Ammal, and Dr. Kamala Sohonie, among many others, deserve to be celebrated with equal pride and prominence.
On this World Science Day, let us ensure that when we speak of Indian science, we honour both the men and the women who build it. Recognition is not charity- it is justice to talent.
(The author is Ph.D. Biotechnology)
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