First Women in India – Education, Science & Medicine

Jan 2021|🟢Current|2 min read|25 entries

Key Takeaway

he second part of the four-part series coveringFirst Women in Indiain the field of Education, Science & Technology & Medicine.

Last verified: 12 Feb 2026·Source: www.pscarivukal.com

T(25)

First Indian Women in Education, Science & TechnologyEducation, Science & TechnologyFirst Women Graduates of India
Kadambini Ganguly & Chandramukhi Basu(1883)
First Woman Honors Graduate
Kamini Roy(1886)
First Indian Woman with Ph.D. In Science
Kamala Sohonie
First Woman Headmistress in school
Savitribai Phule
First Woman Vice-Chancellor
Najma Akhtar(Jamia Millia Islamia, 2019)
First Woman Engineer of India
A. Lalitha(Electrical Engineer)
First Woman Chief Engineer
P.K. Thresia(Kerala PWD, 1971)
First Indian Woman Scientist to head a missile project in India
Dr. Tessy Thomas(Agni missile series)
First Indian Woman scientist who was selected as a fellow in London's Royal Society (FRS)
Dr. Gagandeep Kang(2019)
First Woman Astronaut
Kalpana Chawla
First Indian Woman in space
Kalpana Chawla(1997)
First Indian Woman to receive Doctorate in Science from an Indian institute
Dr. Asima Chatterjee
First Woman to win Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize
Dr. Asima Chatterjee(1961)
First Woman Scientist to become President of Indian Science Congress Association*
Dr. Asima Chatterjee(1975)
India's First Test-tube Baby
"Durga” (Kanupriya Agarwal, 3 October 1978 by Dr. Subhash Mukhopadhyay)*
MedicineFirst Woman Physician
Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi (1886)
Biography
Caroline Wells Healey Dall (1888)
Joshee
Crater in Venus named after Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi
Died at the age of 22 (Tuberculosis).2019
Marathi film named "Anandi Gopal" starring &Lalit PrabhakarFirst Indian(as well as in South Asia) Woman Physician trained in western medicine, to graduate in South Asia –Kadambini Ganguly
First Woman Surgeon
Dr. Prema Mukherjee
First Female Surgeon General of India
Mary Poonen Lukose(1938).* Often confusion arises on the topic who is the first female doctor in India between Anandibai Joshi & Kadambini Ganguly. Anandbhai was the first to get medical degree but due to her tragic death, she was unable to practice it in India whereas Kadambini Ganguly got her medical education in India and became the first female physician to start medical practice in India.📝 SideNotes:First Female Employment Office– Jaipur.3 craters on Venusnamed after 3 Indian Woman –Joshee Crater– Dr. Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi,Medhavi Crater– Ramabai Medhavi, a women’s rights activist,Jhirad Crater– Jerusha Jhirad, a transformative physician
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize
science award in India given annually by the CSIR for outstanding research in biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine, and Physics
Tessy Thomas
also known as ‘Missile Woman of India’ and ‘Agniputri’
Test tube baby
Durga is the first test-tube baby and world's second, but media publicity was given to Harsha, being the first test-tube by Dr. Indira Hinduja who was born on 6 August 1986, another claim being Kruti Parekh born 1984
First Test tube in South India
Kamala Rathinam(August 1, 1990, GG Hospital; by Dr. Kamala Selvaraj→daughter of Gemini Ganesan)

* Time-sensitive data — verify for latest information