Date:03/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/03/stories/2008080354790500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

‘Contribution of women in science growing in India’

Staff Reporter

NSTL Director V. Bhujanga Rao sharing a lighter moment with former Director of NIN, Hyderabad, Mahtab S. Bamji, Technical Director of ASL G. Rohini Devi and Principal of St. Joseph’s College for Women N.D. Veronica at St. Joseph’s College for Women in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

VISAKHAPATNAM: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has 51 laboratories and 7,000 scientists of whom 14 per cent are women. Though the ratio might look insignificant, the contribution of women scientists is growing in India, Technical Director of Advanced Scientific Laboratory (Hyderabad) G. Rohini Devi said. She said that there was no gender bias in the DRDO and gave an overview of the products she had developed along with her team of scientists at a seminar on “Women in Science” organised at the St. Joseph’s College for Women on Saturday.

She spoke on manipulation of carbon technologies for use in the development of missiles and in peace-time uses like reducing the weight of brakes in aircraft. She also spoke on the developments in nano technology that holds great promise for the future.

Director of Naval Science and Technological Laboratories (NSTL) V. Bhujanga Rao said for the success of any organisation both men and women were needed. Men and women have their own strengths and weaknesses and it would be wrong to say that women lack scientific temperament.

He said in a lighter vein, women were born scientists while men were trained scientists. He said even the so-called advanced nations like the US women were not given top positions for long. India on the contrary had a woman Prime Minister, President and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.

Dr. Rao gave away prizes to the winners of various competitions organised in connection with the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the college. Conference coordinator N.R. Jeevan Babu said while there is under-representation of women in science on the one hand, more and more women are going for higher studies which was a good sign. He called for greater participation of women in science and technology. Apart from under-representation, a major difficulty faced by women was interruption of their career to have children.

College Principal Sister N.D. Veronica presided.

Former Director of NIN, Hyderabad, Mahtab S. Bamji delivered the inaugural address.

The panellists included Pratibha Rohit of CMFRI, Uma Devi of the AU Department of Botany and B. Vijayalakshmi of the AU Department of Social Work.