Thread by @aparanjape

#TodayinHistory Kamala Sohonie (14 Sep 1912 – 28 June 1998) was a pioneering Indian biochemist who in 1939 became the first Indian woman to receive a PhD in a scientific discipline.

She studied at Bombay University, IISc and Cambridge.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamala_So…

@PrinSciAdvGoI

Kamala Sohonie's acceptance into and work at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, paved the way for women to be accepted into the institution for the first time in it its history.

"...her application (to IISc) was (originally) turned down by the then-Director Prof. C V Raman on the grounds that women were not considered competent enough to pursue research.[2] Kamala responded to the rejection by holding a 'satyagraha' outside Prof. C V Raman's office..."

She would later say, "Though Raman was a great scientist, he was very narrow-minded. I can never forget the way he treated me just because I was a woman. Even then, Raman didn't admit me as a regular student. This was a great insult to me."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamala_So…

"Kamala's mentor at the IISc was Sri Srinivasayya... She worked on proteins in milk, pulses and legumes. Her dedication and research mettle influenced Prof. Raman's decision to let women into the @iiscbangalore a year after she completed her MSc degree with distinction in 1936."

"Her thesis (at Cambridge) on the subject (of plant tissues) was completed in 14 months and was 40 pages long, a departure from the usually much longer PhD submissions."

After receiving her PhD, Kamala returned to India in 1939."

"She was appointed Prof and Head of the Dept of Biochemistry at Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi. Later, she worked at the Nutrition Research Laboratory, Coonoor as Asst Dir, focusing on the effects of vitamins.[4]"

Read more about her research: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamala_So…

cc @kaneenikasinha @labhopping @sandygrains @himdaughter