KAMALA SOHONIE

1. Context 

• The Google Doodle on June 18 commemorated the 112th Birth anniversary of scientist Kamala Sohonie.
• Sohonie holds the distinction of being the first Indian woman to earn a PhD degree in a scientific discipline.
• She was honoured with the Rashtrapati Award for her significant contributions to Neera research, a palm extract that showed potential in combating malnutrition among children from tribal communities in India.
• However, her journey was filled with numerous obstacles, particularly gender bias within the scientific community, including encounters with Nobel laureate CV Raman. 

2. Early Life and Education

• Kamala Sohonie was born on June 18, 1911, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.
• Her father, Narayanarao Bhagvat, and his brother Madhavrao Bhagvat were chemists who had studied at the Tata Institute of Sciences, which is now known as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru.
• Inspired by her father and uncle, Kamala pursued a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Chemistry (principal) and Physics (subsidiary) from Bombay University, where she excelled and topped the merit list in 1933.

Image Source: Wikipedia

3. Encounter with CV Raman

• Sohonie applied for a Master of Science (MSc) degree at the IISc, which was headed by CV Raman at the time.
• However, Raman dismissed her application, stating, "I am not going to take any girls in my institute."
• Undeterred by this gender-based discrimination, Kamala Sohonie travelled to Bengaluru to confront Raman directly.
• In 1997, during an event organized by the Indian Women Scientists' Association (IWSA) at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Sohonie expressed her disappointment with Raman's narrow-mindedness, stating, "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."
• She challenged Raman by declaring her determination to excel in the course, ultimately leading him to reluctantly admit her.
• However, he imposed several conditions, including her status as a non-regular student, the requirement of Raman's approval for her work to be officially recognized, a probationary period, and restrictions to prevent her from "distracting" her male peers.

4. Work at Cambridge and Beyond

• Kamala Sohonie accomplished remarkable academic achievements despite the obstacles she faced.
• She completed her course with distinction and earned admission to Cambridge University in England in 1936.
• Her determination and success compelled Raman to reconsider his opinion of women, leading him to admit a few female students each year thereafter.
• Sohonie completed her PhD in just 14 months, submitting a concise 40-page thesis.
• Her research at Cambridge focused on potatoes, and she made a significant discovery: the enzyme 'Cytochrome C,' which is a protein found in mitochondria and plays a crucial role in cellular respiration.
• After completing her studies, Sohonie returned to India in 1939 to serve her country.
• She held various positions, including the head of the Department of Biochemistry at Lady Hardinge College in New Delhi.
• She also served as Assistant Director of the Nutrition Research Lab in Coonoor before joining the Royal Institute of Science in Mumbai.
• During her tenure, she conducted extensive studies on different food items to identify their nutritional composition.

5. Contributions to Neera Research

• Here, she studied different food items to identify the nutrients present in them.
• According to an article on the website of the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, she worked on ‘neera’, a drink made from palm extract on the suggestion of the First Indian President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad.
• Her studies established that ‘neera’ was a good source of Vitamin C along with other vitamins, moreover, there are sulfhydryl compounds in Neera that protect vitamins during storage.
• Realising that this would be a cheap and good supplement for poor tribals, she went to popularise this drink.
• The introduction of neera in the diet of tribal malnourished children and pregnant women improved their health significantly.
• She also worked with the administration of the Aarey Milk project to improve the quality of the milk produced.

• In 1947, she married MV Sohonie, an actuary. The couple lived in Mumbai.
• Apart from her academic work, Kamala Sohonie was among the founding members of the consumer protection body Consumer Guidance. Kamala Sohonie passed away on June 28, 1998.