Gangtok:28th Feb: MP Darjeeling Raju Bista, attended the National Science Day celebrations ,as the Chief Guest ,at the North Bengal Science Center in Matigara, Darjeeling today.He was accompanied by Col. Meghna Dave and Dr. Neela Bhattacharya, along with distinguished members of the scientific community and respected guests.
It was to commemorate the historic discovery of the Raman Effect by Sir C. V. Raman on 28 February 1928, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. This was the first such honor for an Indian scientist in the field of science.
MP Bista was pleased to witness the unveiling of busts of ten pioneering women scientists who transformed India’s scientific landscape. From Dr. Kadambini Ganguly and Dr. Bibha Chowdhhuri to Dr. Asima Chatterjee, Dr. Kamal Ranadive, Dr. Anna Mani, and others. ‘Their immense contributions to medicine, physics, agriculture, meteorology, engineering, and social sciences continue to inspire generations,’ said MP.
‘Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, initiatives promoting research, innovation, and scientific education with focus on STEM are strengthening our journey toward becoming a global scientific power,’ added MP Bista.
Paying rich tributes to the great personalities ,MP urged youth to embrace science as a force for nation-building.
MP Darjeeling unveiled the busts of women scientists,joined by others. He said ‘ These will act as an inspiration for all students and youths from our region, particularly the females and act as an encouragement for them to excel in the STEM field. ‘
Busys of those scientists unveiled today included , Dr. Kadambini Ganguly: South Asia’s first woman physician trained in Western medicine, who broke colonial-era barriers and paved the way for women in medical education. Dr. Bibha Chowdhuri: India’s first woman high-energy physicist, known for co-discovering mesons and pioneering cosmic ray research.
Dr. E.K. Janaki Ammal: Renowned botanist who advanced sugarcane breeding and cytogenetics, strengthening India’s agricultural self-sufficiency.
Dr. Asima Chatterjee: Celebrated medicinal chemist who developed key anti-malarial and anti-epileptic drugs and advanced research on Indian medicinal plants.
Dr. Kamal Ranadive: Pioneering cancer researcher who established India’s first tissue culture laboratory and linked cancer to viral and hereditary factors.
Dr. Darshan Ranganathan: Distinguished bio-organic chemist known for her work in molecular design and biomimetic architectures.
Dr. Irawati Karve: India’s first woman anthropologist, acclaimed for her foundational contributions to Indian sociology and her classic work Yuganta.
Dr. Anna Mani: Eminent physicist and meteorologist who developed indigenous weather instruments and advanced atmospheric ozone research.
Dr. Prof. Archana Sharma: Noted cytogeneticist recognized for innovative chromosome techniques and contributions to plant speciation studies.
Dr. Rajeshwari Chatterjee: Trailblazing microwave engineer who established India’s first microwave engineering laboratory and strengthened defence communication research.
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