The National Book Trust’s India@75 series brings forgotten figures into the limelight

One of the walls of the Kerala State Science and Technology Museum Innovation Hub in Thiruvananthapuram has photographs of famous scientists including Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, C.V. Raman, S. Chandrasekhar, Homi Bhabha, and Stephen Hawking. In the long wall of honour, meant to inspire children, Marie Curie is the only woman scientist who finds space.

The Matilda effect and its impact on women in science is neither new nor unknown. A decade ago, neuroscientist and writer-researcher Asha Gopinathan had coordinated the Cafe Scientifique, a series of science workshops in the same city, in which a young audience fell silent when asked to name a woman in science.

However, when a lone voice uttered Marie Curie, Gopinathan felt the need to study and unravel the life of two trailblazing scientists from Kerala: Janaki Ammal, a botanist who pioneered plant breeding, and Anna Mani, a physicist who made India self-reliant in meteorology, solar radiation, and wind energy.

Two women scientists

It was not that people had forgotten the two women scientists; they simply did not know about them. This was Gopinathan’s attempt to document the struggles and achievements of women scientists who have been overlooked and denied public recognition.

Her first book, Anna Mani: The Uncut Diamond, was released at the New Delhi Book Fair earlier this year, marking a turning point in changing public perception about women in science. The book brings to light the genius, dedication, and perseverance of Anna Mani. It establishes her as the weather woman of India, who designed and standardised more than 100 weather instruments.

Aimed at young adults, the book, Gopinathan hopes, will help people understand, remember, and respect Anna Mani’s achievements in context of her family background, the times she grew up, and the wider world in which she was an important player.

Published by the National Book Trust (NBT) under its series India@75, the book is a powerful reminder that behind every achievement, there is a passionate individual who struggles, dreams big, and overcomes adversity, and yet may fail to exist in public memory.

‘Act of recovery’

Gopinathan calls her book “an act of recovery” and shines a light on Anna Mani’s brilliant contribution to measuring weather and atmospheric ozone, as well as to renewable energy and spectroscopy. She writes how Anna Mani described herself as “the right person in the wrong place”. The words bear the weight of gender bias and barriers women scientists of her generation faced.

The author wonders why people like Anna Mani do not feature in school textbooks or their photographs are not seen in museums along with those of famous male scientists. The silence speaks loudly and therefore, the book matters. Both Gopinathan and the NBT deserve applause for documenting and preserving an iconic scientist’s contributions. The hard work that has gone into researching archival details shows in every page.

From the pages of history

Biographies help to understand the nuanced history of different eras and the socio-economic and cultural contexts during specific periods in history. On the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in 2023, the NBT launched its India@75 series categorised into four sections: people, places, events, and themes.

Under the People series, the organisation has so far published 60 titles so far. These are divided into people-achievers (such as Anna Mani; hockey player Dhyan Chand; liberal thinker, author, and diplomat Minoo Masani; journalist Motilal Ghose who advocated for the rights of Indian farmers and; Karnataka’s folk heroine Rani Chennamma) and books on both well-known and lesser-known freedom fighters from the pages of history.

Innovatively introducing the series as ‘Book Box’ and standardising the format, cover design, and layout, the NBT plans to publish biographies of 75 freedom fighters by the end of the year. Other categories in the pipeline include major events of national significance such as the 1971 war, 1983 Cricket World Cup, and the White and the Green Revolution in India.

The books written by NBT’s pool of authors, researchers, and scholars are published in English and 22 regional languages making it a rich repository of knowledge and diverse cultural perspectives.

Some of the interesting titles include The Saga of Kudopali: The Unsung Story of 1857, Kargil Heroes: Ten Exclusive Inspiring Stories and Unsung Anglo-Manipur War Heroes at Kalapani. These books are as diverse and varied as the ordinary men and women who did much to build the fabric of Indian society. By highlighting their motivations, sacrifices, and vast contributions, the NBT places them centre stage.

With the objective of reflecting on the momentous journeys of pre-and-post independent India, the books are all works of scholarship and storytelling intended to inspire the younger generation. They also come at a time when the NCERT syllabus in school textbooks are being altered, leading to controversies.

By telling the stories of India’s soldiers, poets, activists, freedom fighters, and other notable personalities, and by bringing to the fore the making of our cities and movements that helped shape India into a modern nation, the NBT’s efforts appear to be a step in the right direction.

Often, the most influential people are those less heard of. Their lives are the true lessons in resilience and adaptability, and reading about them makes one realise that fame and impact are two different things.

Published – March 12, 2026 08:30 am IST