New Delhi: Google is celebrating today, June 18th, the 112th birthday of Indian biochemist Dr. Kamala Sohonie. She was not only India's first woman Ph.D. scholar in the STEM field but also an inspiration for Indian women to overcome gender bias and pursue their dreams. Dr. Sohonie achieved this remarkable feat at a time when Indian women were significantly underrepresented in scientific disciplines.


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She was awarded the Rashtrapati Award for her work on Neera, an affordable dietary supplement made from palm nectar, which aimed to combat malnutrition. Additionally, she became the first female director of the Royal Institute of Science in Bombay.


"By breaking barriers and proving her doubters wrong, Dr. Sohonie not only made pioneering contributions in her field of biochemistry but also paved the way for future Indian women to overcome gender bias and pursue their dreams," Google Doodle wrote.


Dr. Kamala Sohonie's Birth Place


Dr. Kamala Sohonie was born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on this day in 1911. Both of her parents were chemists. Following in her father's and uncle's footsteps, she pursued chemistry and physics at Bombay University and graduated at the top of her class in 1933.


Dr. Kamala Sohonie's Education And Career


Additionally, she was the first woman to be inducted into the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Interestingly, she faced stringent conditions during her first year as its director doubted the capabilities of women in science. However, Dr. Sohonie proved her competence and was given permission to continue her research. She impressed the director to such an extent that IISc began accepting more women into their program. Over the next few years, Sohonie studied various proteins found in legumes and concluded that they enhanced nutrition in children. In 1936, she published her thesis on this subject and obtained her master's degree.


Dr. Kamala Sohonie's Foreign Studies And Ph.D


In 1937, Dr. Sohonie earned a research scholarship at Cambridge University. She conducted research and discovered that Cytochrome C, an enzyme crucial for energy generation, was present in all plant cells. In a mere 14 months, she completed her thesis on this subject and acquired her Ph.D.


Dr. Kamala Sohonie's Efforts Against Malnutrition In India


Upon returning to India, Dr. Sohonie continued her studies on the benefits of specific foods and contributed to the development of an affordable dietary supplement made from palm nectar called Neera. This nutritious drink is a good source of Vitamin C and has been proven to improve the health of malnourished children and pregnant women.