A look at how more women are making a mark in Science
The Hindu
Spotlight on women | Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. A look at what India has achieved with regard to women in science.
On the specific subject of girls and their presence (or lack of it) in the Sciences, I am compelled to believe that we must look at it from the macro, societal, economic and individual perspectives.
At Independence, the literacy rate in India was just 13%. While we have travelled a long way from there, we still have some way to go as far as education for girls is concerned. Over the first 50 years, India grappled with access to education by setting up schools. Today we have over 1.5 million schools of which 75% are government-run and 40,000 colleges and universities. The gross enrolment ratio now is around 26% and India is striving to get to 50% in this decade.
The completion of girls’ schooling (till classes 8, 10, or 12) in post-independent India has been a big enabler in accelerated girls’ education through the 1980s and 1990s. Social awareness and availability of government schools played a great role in this transformation.

How do you create a Christmas tree with crochet? Take notes from crochet artist Sheena Pereira, who co-founded Goa-based Crochet Collective with crocheter Sharmila Majumdar in 2025. Their artwork takes centre stage at the Where We Gather exhibit, which is part of Festivals of Goa, an ongoing exhibition hosted by the Museum of Goa. The collective’s multi-hued, 18-foot crochet Christmas tree has been put together by 25 women from across the State. “I’ve always thought of doing an installation with crochet. So, we thought of doing something throughout the year that would culminate at the year end; something that would resonate with Christmas message — peace, hope, joy, love,” explains Sheena.

Max Born made many contributions to quantum theory. This said, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 1954 for establishing the statistical interpretation of the ____________. Fill in the blank with the name of an object central to quantum theory but whose exact nature is still not fully understood.











