Odisha Scientist Jyotirmayee Mohanty Receives IUPAC’s Distinguished Women in Chemistry Award

Bhubaneswar: Jyotirmayee Mohanty, a scientist hailing from Odisha and affiliated with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai, has been honoured with the 2023 Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

This prestigious recognition was bestowed upon her during the inaugural ceremony of the World Chemistry Congress held in The Hague, Netherlands, on August 20. Javier G-Martinez, the President of IUPAC, presented her with the award. Notably, Jyotirmayee Mohanty is the first Indian woman scientist to receive this esteemed accolade in her category.

Jyotirmayee Mohanty, daughter of the renowned paediatrician Dr. Baikuntnath Patra from Chauliaganj, Cuttack, is married to Rasmiranjan Mohanty, also a scientist, residing in Titira under Balikuda block in Jagatsinghpur.

In the preceding year, Mohanty was also honoured with the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), an esteemed recognition presented by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in the United Kingdom.

This commendable achievement comes in light of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, with IUPAC announcing the names of 12 awardees on February 11. These awardees were selected based on their outstanding contributions to basic or applied research, teaching or education accomplishments, and demonstrated leadership or managerial excellence in the field of chemical sciences.

The tradition of presenting the Distinguished Women in Chemistry/Chemical Engineering awards commenced during the 2011 World Chemistry Congress and has continued at each biennial IUPAC General Assembly and World Chemistry Congress since then.

On March 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to Jyotirmayee Mohanty for this remarkable achievement, highlighting her exceptional contribution to the field. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also commended her for this significant accomplishment.