The National Book Trust has launched a special series of books called 'India@75'. These books tell the stories of forgotten Indian heroes and pioneering women scientists, like Anna Mani and Janaki Ammal, to inspire young people. The goal is to correct historical oversights and ensure everyone's contributions are recognized, making these stories available in many languages.
The National Book Trust (NBT) has launched a specialized segment within its India@75 series, publishing biographies of pioneering women scientists such as Anna Mani and Janaki Ammal to address the 'Matilda effect'—the systemic bias where women's scientific achievements are overlooked or attributed to male colleagues. This initiative features books in English and 22 regional languages, highlighting figures like Dr. Janaki Ammal, who revolutionized India's sugarcane production, and Kamala Sohonie, the first Indian woman to earn a PhD in science despite initial rejection by Dr. C.V. Raman.
The series also documents contemporary leaders including Dr. Tessy Thomas, known as the 'Missile Woman of India' for heading the Agni-IV and Agni-V projects, and ISRO scientists like Muthayya Vanitha and Moumita Dutta, who were instrumental in the Chandrayaan-2 and Mars Orbiter Missions respectively. By showcasing these 'unsung heroes,' the government aims to inspire the next generation of girls to enter STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. This development aligns with the national theme 'Women in Science: Catalysing Viksit Bharat,' emphasizing that gender-neutral recognition is essential for India's technological and economic growth.
This initiative is highly relevant for UPSC aspirants under GS Paper 1 (Social Issues and Role of Women) and GS Paper 3 (Science and Technology), as it provides concrete examples of women's contributions to national development and the institutional efforts to bridge the gender gap in science.
