Miramar (Goa) When Christiane Nsslein-Volhard won the Nobel Prize for science in the year 1996, she was just the sixth women to do so. This was despite the fact that the award was constituted in the year 1900. The Neutral View spoke to the veteran to find out reasons why not many women are Nobel Prize winners in Science.

1. How different it is for you when you address Indian students compared to those from Europe?

A.I have never seen much difference because Indian scientists are completely very good scientists. I know Indian universities which are completely comparable to European universities. but now I am told that it not the case as there are many areas in India which are as much as developed, particularly the school system is not evened out throughout the country but I have not seen them.

1. Why are not many Nobel Prize winners in Science are from developing countries?

May be they don’t have so many universities. They don’t have so many places where people can do science, but quality of science but quality of research is good. There is big tradition in India about science. And I think there is very good education so it needs to be expanded and may be more money has to be put into it.

1. Why not many women are seen doing science?
2. It’s a tradition that man has the big profession and the woman don’t get the big profession. I had the opportunity to do good research whereas rest of the other were men. The women should have first opportunity to do good science and when you do good science, you might also win a Nobel prize. But there is no fundamental difference between scientific abilities between a woman and a man. But it is few women who chose this profession.If you are researcher, you need to place into lot of efforts and energy. People have families and they have to take care of their children and their households if their husband is not participating in it, then they have little time to be good scientists so we help them out with this money towards this cause.

1. What could be the solution?

1. It would be apt to have day care for kids and kids are getting educated during the day when their mother is working. I don’t know the situation here, but perhaps there might be a possibility that they get help from other people.

1. How can we have more women researchers coming from India?

More opportunities, more jobs. Many women are not interested in science, so I don’t think they should do science, and it is not necessary that every other person in science should be a woman. But there are very talented Indian women, I know, may be who want to chose this profession.

1. Why do you think they are not interested?

Women are interested in many things. They tend not to focus so much on particular topic which is perhaps required to do good science. Many men are very focused and do nothing else but do science and this is a way of life.

1. Do you foresee a change?

1. It is changing constantly but I don’t know to which level it will change.

Q.Will there be a time where equal number of man and woman in science

A: No, never. Because women have different interest and they don’t want this. And man chose to marry a woman who does not do science, who wants her to do more for the family and his own benefit.

1. Has life changed after winning a Nobel?

1. I had to do many more things outside my scientific interest. It is interesting and also distracting me from doing my science and to be famous and recognized is very time consuming.

1. What next for you in the career now after winning the Nobel?
2. You don’t work to get Nobel, you work to understand something. You understand problems and try to find solutions, and that is what I am doing right now.