Indira Nath Indian physician Indira Nath receiving the L'Oreal-UNESCO Award For Women in Science in Paris, France, on March 6, 2002. (more) Indian Women in STEM From independence to the present Written by Anoushka Pant Anoushka Pant holds a degree in elementary education, with a focus on mathematics, education, and psychology, from Miranda House, University of Delhi. Anoushka PantAll Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Feb. 20, 2026 •History The decades following India’s independence in 1947 were a formative period for science in the country. Laboratories were established, disciplines took shape, and research began to align with national needs. Women were among those working across medicine, engineering, and other sciences, contributing as researchers, teachers, and builders of institutions. Their careers unfolded in classrooms, clinics, field stations, laboratories, and observatories—primarily within India, but increasingly in global scientific contexts—where methods were refined, knowledge accumulated, and future...

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