7. Aditi Pant ( born 1943 )

 


 

Aditi Pant was the first Indian woman to set foot in the frozen polar region of Antarctica. An expert in oceanography, she was the scientist assigned to carry out geological oceanographic studies of the Third Antarctic Expedition. Inspired by a book he read in his youth, she wanted to pursue higher studies in marine science. Aditi was a person who overcame many obstacles and went to America for further studies. After that, she got her PhD  degree from London and came back to India and became an officer at the Indian Institute of Oceanography.

 

In the early days, women in our country used to stay at home only doing the service of their husbands and children. As time changed, the wind changed. There have been very few areas in India where women have not conquered. Whether it is in space travel, health care, or even politics, women are working on an equal footing with men today. Aditi Pant was one of them.

Aditi was born in a Marathi-speaking Brahmin family in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Aditi, who was more interested in scientific subjects at an early age, showed interest in learning about all things in nature. When Aditi was studying at school, girls in general were less likely to go on to higher education. The status of the family, which was not enough and was a bit backward financially, also hindered her  higher education. But she  started trying to make the impossible possible.

Aditi graduated from Poona University with a B.Sc. It can be said that the book 'Open Sea' written by Alistair Hardy, which she accidentally read during his college education, determined her future studies and outlook on life. She was  excited to learn more about the ocean. Miraculously, she was awarded a scholarship to study oceanography at the University of Hawaii in the United States. From there she obtained her Master’s degree. Her thesis topic was how photosynthesis takes place in some marine algae. The experiments required for it were somewhat difficult but the help of her mentor Dr. A.S.Dotty was very helpful in completing the thesis. They focused on a single bacterium in the group. After earning her Master’s degree in Hawaii, she came to England and earned her PhD in physiology of marine algae at Westfield College, London. For this he received financial assistance from the Government of India.

Professional life

After doing her Ph.D. in London, she was thinking about where to work in India.  Prof. N K Panicker was the director of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in India . Aditi met Prof  Panicker. And  joined the Institute.  During the period 1973-76, the main mission of this institute was to study in detail the sea coast from Veravel to Kanyakumari in the Western part of India. The organization also had a ten-year plan to go to Antarctica. However, priority was given to the way of life of marine life and the study of local objects. In 1990, she moved from NIO to National Chemical Laboratory, Pune. There she spent 15 years studying the effect of salts on enzymes. She also served as Emeritus Professor in the Department of Botany, University of Poona from 2003 – 2007.

Antarctic exploration

During her tenure at the NIO, she participated in the Antarctic expedition from December 1983 to March 1984. It was something that no women had ever done before. This was the third exploration during Indira Gandhi's tenure. These explorations were part of the Antarctic Treaty signed by Indira Gandhi in 1981. These were held under the auspices of the National Institute for Polar Ocean Research. Aditi was the first woman to participate in this exploration along with a geologist named Sudipta Sen Gupta. Aditi Pant became the first Indian woman to set foot in Antarctica. Their research interests were food chain physics, chemistry and biology in Antarctica, with  the harsh and adverse climate there.

 It was during this exploration that the first Indian research centre for Antarctic studies, Dakshina Gangotri, was established. 2500 km from the South Pole. This remote research centre has been instrumental in many studies since then. Aditi also participated in the fifth Arctic expedition in 1984. This time her fields of study were oceanography and marine geology.

 

Awards and patents

Aditi Pant became the holder of five patents as a result of her studies and research. She also received the Antarctic Award of the Government of India. Sudipta Sengupta, two others and Aditi were given this award jointly. For her research, she received an award and stipend from SERC. She is a member of the Society for the Promotion of Scientific Research, Government of Maharashtra. She is an advisor to the Biofuels and Biotechnology Departments of the Government of India. Aditi Pant is also a distinguished member of the Maharashtra Science Academy.

reference

https://gyanpro.com/blog/aditi-pahttpsnt-the-first-indian-women-to-reach-antartica-region/

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