Bibha Chowdhuri: a barrier breaker in STEM

Discover the inspiring legacy of Bibha Chowdhuri, a pioneering woman in physics and a trailblazer in STEM history.

A young girl was born in the early 1900s in Kolkata, an era when girls were barely given an education and were often pushed into marriages at a very young age. She, however, stood out and went on to become one of the first Indian women to obtain a postgraduate degree in physics. This is the story of Bibha Chowdhuri.

Born in 1913, Bibha Chowdhuri was born into a family of progressive views — one that encouraged her to study beyond school and pursue science, in particular physics, a subject rarely touched by women of the time.

In 1936, she completed her MSc in physics from Calcutta University, believed to be the only woman in her class and among the very first few Indian women to obtain a postgraduate degree in physics. She walked through corridors and classrooms untouched by women before, fighting battles — subtle and otherwise. 

In later interviews, she often talked about how very few women were entering physics, and it’s important to encourage more participation to ensure equal decision-making powers when it comes to technology and power in modern society. 

Bibha Chowdhuri at the International Conference in Pisa, Italy 1955. | Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

After her MSc, Bibha wanted to do research in cosmic rays and subatomic particles, an ambitious choice at a time when experimental particle physics itself was still emerging globally.