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Kamala Sohonie
Kamala Sohonie (18 June 1911 – 28 June 1998) was an Indian biochemist who in
1939 became the first Indian woman to receive a PhD in a scientific discipline. Her
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.
Kamala Sohonie (कमला सोहनी)
Her research delved into the effects of vitamins and into the nutritive values of pulses,
paddy, and groups of food items consumed by some of the poorest sections of the Indian
population. Her work on the nutritional benefits of the palm extract called 'Neera' was
inspired by the then-president Rajendra Prasad's suggestion. Kamala Sohonie received the
Rashtrapati Award for this work.
Early life
Kamala Sohonie (née Bhagvat) was born in 1911 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. Her
father, Narayanarao Bhagvat, as well as her uncle, Madhavrao Bhagvat, were chemists and
alumni of the erstwhile Tata Institute of Sciences (which later became the Indian Institute
of Science) in Bangalore. Kamala followed 'family tradition' and graduated in 1933 with a
BSc degree in Chemistry (principal) and Physics (subsidiary) from Bombay University.
Kamala then applied to the Indian Institute of Science for a research fellowship,
Career and research
Kamala's mentor at the IISc was Sri Srinivasayya. During her stint here, she worked on
proteins in milk, pulses and legumes (a subject that was especially significant in the Indian
context). Her dedication and research mettle influenced Prof. Raman's decision to let
women into the IISc a year after she completed her MSc degree with distinction in 1936.
She was then invited to UK's Cambridge University to work under Dr. Derek Richter in the
Frederick G. Hopkins laboratory. She was a student of Newnham College, matriculating in
1937 and studying the Biological Natural Sciences Tripos.[7] When Richter left, she worked
under Dr. Robin Hill and studied plant tissues. From her work on potatoes, she discovered
the enzyme 'Cytochrome C' which plays an essential role in the electron transport chain
(the process by which energy is created for organisms), found in plants, human and animal
cells. Her thesis on the subject 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. As a supporter of Mahatma
Gandhi, she wanted to come back to her country and contribute to the nationalist
struggle. She was appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Biochemistry at Lady
Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi. Later, she worked at the Nutrition Research
Laboratory, Coonoor as Assistant Director, focusing on the effects of vitamins.
She married M.V Sohonie, an actuary, in 1947 and moved to Mumbai. She joined the Royal
Institute of Science as a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, and worked on the
nutritional aspects of legumes. Her eventual appointment to the position of Director of the
Institute is believed to have been delayed by 4 years due to existing gender bias in the
scientific community During this period, Kamala and her students conducted important
research on three groups of food items that are majorly consumed by financially
disadvantaged sections of people in India.
Kamala started work on 'Neera' (sap extracted from the inflorescence of various species of
toddy palms) on the suggestion of then-President of India, Rajendra Prasad. She found
significant quantities of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and iron in the drink, and that these elements
can survive concentration of Neera into palm jaggery and molasses.
Later studies indicated that the inclusion of Neera in the diets of malnourished adolescent
children and pregnant women from tribal communities as an inexpensive dietary
supplement led to significant improvement in health. She was awarded the Rashtrapati
Award for her work in this subject.
Death and legacy
was an active member of the Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI). She was elected
President of the CGSI for the 1982–83 period and she also authored articles on consumer
safety for the organisational magazine called 'Keemat'.
Kamala Sohonie died in 1998, shortly after collapsing during a felicitation ceremony
organised by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in New Delhi.

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Kamala Sohonie

Kamala Sohonie (कमला सोहनी)

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