Rau, Prabha: (Born 4 March 1935) is current Governor of Rajasthan. She was also the governor of Himachal Pradesh earlier. A former athlete, she was former president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee; and a Member of Parliament in 13th Lok Sabha.
Roerich, Devika Rani: (1908 – 1994) was an early Indian movie star and a great grandniece of Rabindra Nath Tagore. She is accredited for having acted in the longest kissing scene in the movie world with her first husband Himanshu Rai in Karma (1933). It was 4 minutes long and very controversial in the then culturally orthodox India. In 1958, the President of India honored Devika Rani with a Padma Shri. In 1970, she became the first recipient of the prestigious film prize, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. In later years, she settled in Bangalore with her second husband Svetoslav Roerich.
Roy, Aruna: (born 26 May 1946) is an Indian political and social activist. She served as a civil servant in the Indian Administrative Service from 1968-1974, before resigning to become social activist and working to empower villagers in Rajasthan. She is a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Roy, Arundhati: (born 24 November 1961) is a writer in English and activist who won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel, The God of Small Things, and in 2002, the Lannan Cultural Freedom Prize. She is also a writer of two screenplays and a number of collections of essays. Roy is a well-known activist for social and economic justice.
Saha (Gupta), Arati: (24 September 1940 - 23 August 1994) was born in Calcutta. From the age of 5 in 1945 to 1951 she won 22 State competitions including an all-India record in 1949. She took part in the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 along with Dolly Nazir. On 29 September 1959 she became the first woman from Asia to swim the English Channel, from Cape Gris Nez, France to Sandgate, England (16 hours 20 minutes). She was awarded Padmashri in the year 1960. She died on 23 August 1994 of jaundice. In 1998, a set of Indian stamps was issued to commemorate the contribution of Indian women in various fields, including Arati Saha Gupta.
Sahgal, Nayantara: (born 10 May 1927) is an Indian writer in English. Her fiction deals with India's elite responding to the crises engendered by political change; she was one of the first female Indo-Anglican writers to receive wide recognition. She is the second of the three daughters born to Jawaharlal Nehru's sister, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit. Though part of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Sahgal developed a reputation for maintaining her independent critical sense. Her independent tone, and her mother's, would lead to both falling out with her cousin Indira Gandhi during the most autocratic phases of Mrs. Gandhi's time in office in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Indira Gandhi canceled Sahgal's scheduled appointment as India's Ambassador to Italy within days of her return to power. Not one to be intimidated, Sahgal would (in 1982) write a scathing, insightful account of Gandhi's rise to power.
Sarabhai, Mallika: (born 9 May 1954) is a well-known activist and performer from Gujarat. The daughter of classical danseuse Mrinalini Sarabhai and renowned space scientist Vikram Sarabhai, Mallika is an accomplished Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer. She is also known for her contributions in the fields of theatre, television, film, writing and publishing. She is also a TED fellow.
Sarabhai, Mridula: (1911 - 1974) was a Gandhian freedom fighter and activist. She was a member of the famous Sarabhai family of Ahmedabad. In 1934, she was elected to the All India Congress Committee as a delegate from Gujarat. Later, she was appointed the Secretary, Sub Committee on Women's Role in the Planned Economy for the National Planning Board. In 1946, she was appointed as one of the General Secretaries of the Congress party and a member of the Congress Working Committee. She resigned and followed Mahatma Gandhi to Noakhali when riots broke out. Her role in preserving communal harmony during the violence of partition was praised by leaders from India and Pakistan.
Sarabhai, Mrinalini: (born 1928) is a celebrated classical dancer. She is the founder director of the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, an institute for imparting training in dance, drama, music and puppetry, in the city of Ahmedabad. She has received many distinguished awards and citations in recognitions of her contribution to art.
Satpathy, Nandini: (1931 – 2006), Indian politician and author. She is the former Chief Minister of Orissa. She was a well known Oriya writer and her work has been translated and published in a number of languages. In 1998, she was given the prestigious Sahitya Bharati Samman Award, for her outstanding contribution to Oriya literature. Her last major work was the translation of Taslima Nasreen's Lajja into Oriya.
Scindia, Vasundhara Raje: was the Chief Minister of Rajasthan from December 2003 till December 2008. She is the first woman Chief Minister of Rajasthan. She is daughter of Vijayaraje Scindia and Jivaji Rao Scindia of Gwalior, members of the prominent Scindia ex-royal family. She has been a member of the Bhartiya Janata Party, and has held many important posts in the Party and the Government.
Scindia, Vijayaraje: (1919-2001) born Lekha Divyeshwari and until 1970 styled the Rajmata of Gwalior, was a prominent Indian political personality. In the days of the British Raj, as consort of the last ruling Maharaja of Gwalior, she ranked among the highest aristocrats of the land. In later life, she became a politician of considerable influence and was elected repeatedly to both houses of the Indian parliament. She was also an active member, for many decades, of the Jana Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Segal, Zohra: (born 27 April 1912) is an Indian stage and film actress, who started her career as dancer with legendary dancer Uday Shankar in 1935. She is most known for her appearances in Bhaji on the Beach (1992), The Mystic Masseur (2001), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Dil Se (1998) and Cheeni Kum (2007); and the TV series, The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Tandoori Nights (1985-87), Amma And Family (1996). Considered a doyenne of Indian theatre, she acted with Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), and Prithviraj Kapoor's Prithvi Theatre. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 1998, Kalidas Samman in 2001 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime achievement in 2004. She received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honor, in 2010.
Sehgal, Lakshmi: née Swaminathan, also known as Captain Lakshmi was an activist of the Indian independence movement, an ex-officer of the Indian National Army, and the Minister of Women's affairs in the Azad Hind Government. A doctor by profession, Captain Lakshmi came into the limelight in India towards the end of World War II for her role as the commander of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment of the INA and her role as a minister in Subhas Bose's Azad Hind government. She later became involved in politics in independent India, serving as a member of parliament in the Upper House and later running for President as a left wing candidate.
Sen, Sushmita: became the first Indian woman to win the Miss Universe crown in 1994. She now acts in Bollywood cinema.
Seth, Leila: was the first woman judge on the Delhi High Court and the first woman to become Chief Justice of a state High Court. She served on the Law Commission of India till 2000 and was responsible for the amendments to the Hindu Succession Act which gave equal rights to daughters in joint family property.
Shankar, Anoushka: (born June 9, 1981) is a sitar player and composer in the United States. She is the daughter of the legendary virtuoso, composer and Sitarist Ravi Shankar and Sukanya Rajan. Through her father, she is the half-sister of Grammy Award winner Norah Jones.
Shaw-Mazumdar, Kiran (b. 23 March 1953 in Bangalore) is an Indian entrepreneur. She is the Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Ltd. In 2004, she became India’s richest woman. She started her professional career as trainee brewer in Carlton & United Beverages in 1974. In 1978, she joined as a Trainee Manager with Biocon Biochemicals Limited in Ireland.
Shergill, Amrita: (1913 – 1941), was an eminent Indian painter, sometimes known as India's Frida Kahlo, and considered an important women painter of 20th century India, whose legacy stands at par with that of the Masters of Bengal Renaissance; she is also the 'most expensive' woman painter of India. Today, she is amongst Nine Masters, whose work was declared as art treasures by the Archaeological Survey of India, and over 100 of her paintings are now displayed at National Gallery of Modern Art.
Shinde, Tarabai: was a feminist activist who protested patriarchy and caste in 19th century India. She is known for her published work, Stri Purush Tulana ("A Comparison Between Women and Men"), originally published in Marathi in 1882. The pamphlet is a critique of upper-caste patriarchy, and is often considered the first modern Indian feminist text. It was very controversial for its time in challenging the Hindu religious scriptures themselves as a source of women's oppression, a view that continues to be controversial and debated today.
Shiva, Vandana: is a trained-Physicist (received her Ph.D. from University of Western Ontario, Canada, in 1978 with the doctoral dissertation: “Hidden Variables and Non-locality in Quantum Theory”), philosopher, environmental activist, eco feminist and author of several books. Shiva, currently based in Delhi, is author of over 300 papers in leading scientific and technical journals.
Sikdar, Jyotirmoyee: is a politician and former MP affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist). She was an athlete and won the Gold medals in 800 m and 1500 m events in the 1998 Asian Games. She is a recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award for the year 1998-1999. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2003.
Singh, Ruby: An officer of the Indian Navy, she became the first women to lead a defence contingent in a Republic Day Parade (1993). She later retired from the Indian Navy as Commander.
Singh, Upinder: She is an author and professor of history at the University of Delhi. She is also the recipient of the inaugural Infosys Prize in the category of Social Sciences (History). Prof. Singh is an alumna of St. Stephen's College, Delhi and received her PhD from McGill University, Canada. She is the daughter of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Siwach, Pritam Rani: (born October 2, 1974) is a former captain of the Indian women's hockey team. She last played with the team when it won the Gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. She currently runs an academy and is training to become a coach. Siwach received an Arjuna Award in 1998.
Soni, Varsha: (born March 12, 1957) was a member of the Indian women's hockey team. She represented India at the 1980 Summer Olympics Games and the 1982 Asian Games and is also a recipient of the Arjuna Award.
Sonir, Prem Maya: (born July 14, 1961) is currently serving as Assistant Sport Officer of North Eastern Railway. She was a member of the women's hockey team of India which won the gold medal in the 1982 Asian Games. She received the Arjuna Award in 1985.
Subbulakshmi, MS: (1916 – 2004), was a renowned Carnatic vocalist. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor. She was the first Indian musician to receive Asia's highest civilian award, the Ramon Magsaysay award in 1974 with citation 'Exacting purists acknowledge Srimati M.S Subbulakshmi as the leading exponent of classical and semi-classical songs in the Karnataka tradition of South India.' She traveled across the world as India's cultural ambassador. Her concerts at Carnegie Hall, New York; the UN General Assembly on UN day in 1966; the Royal Albert Hall, London in 1982; and at the Festival of India in Moscow in 1987 were significant landmarks in her career.
Syal, Meera: is an Asian-British comedienne, writer, playwright, singer, journalist, producer and actress. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and became one of the UK's best-known Indian personalities portraying Sanjeev's grandmother, Ummi, in The Kumars at No. 42. She was awarded the MBE in the New Year's Honours List of 1997 and in 2003 was listed in The Observer as one of the fifty funniest acts in British comedy. As of June 2009, Syal is currently starring as Consultant Tara Sodi in Holby City.
Taraporevala, Sooni: (born 1957) is an internationally acclaimed screenwriter and photographer, currently based in India. She is best known as the screenwriter of Mississippi Masala, The Namesake and Oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay, all directed by Mira Nair. She directed her first feature film, based on a screenplay of her own, an ensemble piece set in Bombay, in spring 2007 entitled "Little Zizou." She graduated from Harvard University (where she met Nair as an undergraduate, leading to their longtime creative collaboration). She later attended New York University as a graduate student.
Tata, Suzanne RD: became the first Indian woman to drive a car.
Thapar, Romila: (born 1931) is an Indian historian whose principal area of study is ancient India. After graduating from Panjab University, Thapar earned her doctorate under AL Basham at the School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of London in 1958. Later she worked as Professor of Ancient Indian History at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, where she is Professor Emeritus. Thapar's major works are Asoka and the Decline of the Maurya, Ancient Indian Social History: Some Interpretations, Recent Perspectives of Early Indian History (editor), A History of India Volume One, and Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300. Thapar has been a visiting professor at Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the College de France in Paris. She was elected General President of the Indian History Congress in 1983 and a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy in 1999. Thapar is an Honorary Fellow at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, and at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She holds honorary doctorates from the University of Chicago, the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales in Paris, the University of Oxford, the University of Calcutta and recently (2009) from the University of Hyderabad. In 2004 the US Library of Congress appointed her as the first holder of the Kluge Chair in Countries and Cultures of the South. She has twice refused state awards on the ground that she accepts only academic awards. She is co-winner (with Peter Brown) of the prestigious Kluge Prize for the Study of Humanity for 2008.
