Nine women scientists who are doing phenomenal work

Recently, scientist Gagandeep Kang had to forcefully remind a room full of senior colleagues -- all men -- that she was the chair and that they should speak only when their turn comes. This kind of thing happens all the time, and you become so inured to it that you don't realise it," she says. Kang is the first Indian woman to be elected as a fellow of the Royal Society, but even that, evidently, does not protect you from microaggressions from men. It is a reminder of the kind of bias that women in science have to deal with. Prejudice at many levels is one reason why there are far fewer women scientists than men in the higher echelons of science in India. A 2016-17 report, "Status of Women in Science Among Select Institutions in India: Policy Implications", supported by NITI Aayog, found that while women constitute over a third of science graduates and postgraduates, they make up only 15-20% of tenured faculty across research institutions and universities in India. "As a group, it is not easy for women to stay in science. Only 14% of scientists are women," science writers Nandita Jayaraj and Aashima Dogra write in their recent book, 31 Fantastic Adventures in Science: Women Scientists in India. However, there are women who have beaten odds and shattered stereotypes and glass ceilings. This special feature looks at nine such women who are doing critical work in science and technology in India. They work on an array of complex problems -- in fields ranging from quantum computation to paleoecology. Neuroscientist Vidita Vaidya is looking to decode how experiences and the environment affect the circuits in our brain, which might offer a clue to how we develop psychiatric disorders. Aditi Sen De, the first woman to receive the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in physical sciences, is working on different aspects of quantum communication, a field that uses the laws of quantum physics to protect data. This is by no means an exhaustive list of exceptional women scientists, but they are representative of the brilliant minds that have striven and made it to the top and become exemplars. As Kang says, "If you see role models, you see areas you can aspire to.