Dr Shubha V, a veteran scientist from CSIR-NAL, won the Padma Shri in 2026 for creating Drishti, India's first indigenous runway visibility-measuring system. Installed at major airports since 2011, Drishti provides critical visibility data to pilots and controllers, strengthening aviation safety and reducing reliance on costly foreign instruments.
At Jaipur Literature Festival 2026, Pulitzer winner Stephen Greenblatt revisited the short, incendiary life of Christopher Marlowe — Shakespeare's contemporary and rival — tracing how brilliance, rebellion, and recklessness shaped a playwright who transformed English theatre but died at 29, before his genius could mature.
An Indian-origin academic has earned one of Australia's highest science honours, bringing global attention to the growing influence of mathematics in real-world problem solving. Professor Nalini Joshi's recognition also marks a rare moment for the discipline at the top tier of scientific awards.
Reviving rivers, recharging wells and restoring livelihoods has transformed countless villages. One leader has shown how community-driven water conservation can change entire landscapes.
Mary Kenner invented a sanitary belt with a moisture-proof pocket in the 1920s but faced racial discrimination that blocked her success. Her legacy highlights resilience and the overlooked contributions of Black women inventors.
Janaki Ammal, a botanist and India's first woman with a PhD, developed the sweet sugarcane we know in India today, challenged caste and gender bias, defended forests, never married, and lived a life of fierce independence, leaving a legacy that still shapes Indian science.
The untold story of Ayyalasomayajula Lalitha, India's first woman engineer who entered college as a "special case" and rewired the future.
Denied entry for being a woman, she didn't protest; she proved. And in doing so, she rewrote India's scientific story. Kamala Sohonie challenged gender bias to become the first Indian woman with a PhD in biochemistry.
Jagadish Chandra Bose pioneered early radio-wave detection and plant physiology, yet refused to patent his work, believing knowledge should be kept open for all. His science blended curiosity, ethics and invention, shaping wireless communication and plant research long before the world noticed. And he was the OG science fiction writer in Bengali too.
As the face of the Cuban revolution and the nation's president, Fidel Castro bestrode the world stage for half a century, challenging Washington at every turn. From the Cuban Missile Crisis to surviving CIA plots, Castro never surrendered. November 25 marks the death anniversary of the Cuban revolutionary.
India has lost Padma Shri Saalumarada Thimakka, the 114-year-old environmental icon whose life reads like a lesson in hope. From planting 385 banyan saplings with her husband to nurturing over 8,000 trees, she turned a personal struggle into a legacy of green activism.
Asima Chatterjee became India's first woman to earn a D.Sc. in chemistry, pioneering plant-based medicines. Her work bridged traditional Ayurveda and modern science, overcoming gender bias and inspiring future generations.
James D Watson, the Nobel-winning co-discoverer of DNA's double helix, has died at 97. His legacy blends scientific triumph with deep controversy, reshaping biology while igniting enduring debate. Here's a look at his life and work.
Bipin Chandra Pal (1858-1932) emerged from a wealthy Bengal family to become an impassioned journalist, orator and nationalist, helping lead the Lal-Bal-Pal trio and championing swadeshi, social reform and full freedom from British rule.
Marjorie Rice, a homemaker from San Diego, solved a decades-old geometry problem in 1975. Her discovery of new pentagon tilings challenged the notion that only experts can make major mathematical breakthroughs.
Queen Abbakka of Ullal led a formidable naval defence against Portuguese colonial forces in the 16th century. Her strategic alliances and guerrilla tactics made her a legendary symbol of resistance in coastal Karnataka.
In 1992, Major Priya Jhingan became the first woman officer in the Indian Army's non-medical branch. Her pioneering role opened doors for many women, transforming the army's approach to female officers.
Justice Surya Kant's journey from a small Haryana village to the Chief Justice of India is a story of steady grit, scholarship, and public service. Rooted in humble beginnings, India's new CJI rose through courts with landmark judgments, a reform-minded approach, and a reputation for fairness as he takes charge of India's judiciary.
Pamela Colman Smith, an artist and mystic from the early 20th century, illustrated the iconic 1909 Rider-Waite tarot deck, the most famous tarot deck today. Yes, the woman behind the iconic images that are used both as a teaching tool and a cultural shorthand for tarot across the world today, died penniless and in obscurity, her art and belongings sold to cover debt.
Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh, India's only woman Rafale pilot, made headlines after President Droupadi Murmu's visit to Ambala, where they posed with a Rafale in the background. A member of the Golden Arrows Squadron, she flew in Operation Sindoor, where Pakistan falsely claimed to have captured her – a claim later dismissed by the IAF.
