Archive by category | Gender

How outreach blends my worlds as a scientist and mom

Karishma with son

My phone pinged in the middle of the session. It was a message from my almost 10-year-old son. “Spelling mistake in slide 36. Instead of 1st you wrote ist” – the message read. I chuckled. Here I was, conducting a summer science quiz for children and their families across India, and getting instant feedback from the next room in the house. This was a heart-warming moment. It effortlessly represented how in a pandemic-stricken year, science outreach bridged my worlds as a scientist and a mother.  Read more

Being rocket woman

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle of the Indian Space Research Organisation, which carried the Mars Orbiter Mission satellite Mangalyaan. The payload included instruments developed by Dutta and her team.

Physicist Moumita Dutta from the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, was part of the team that put a probe into Mars orbit in 2014.  In an interview with Elizabeth Gibney, a senior reporter for Nature based in London, she talks about the lure of optics, the challenge of crafting super-light sensors, and the rise in Indian women entering space science.  Read more

Hail women in science

Hail women in science

I have heard women scientists across the world rant (with reason) about the oppressive policies of labs that stifle their growth. We have had very interesting discussions on the Nature India forum regarding gender issues in science. And, of course, about the sops that governments promise to make things better for women but don’t deliver. Spurred by such inaction, Vineeta Bal, a member of the Indian government’s task force for women in science, wrote a forceful commentary on Nature India recently outlining what needs to be done immediately to turn things around for our lab ladies.  Read more