NIULoyd091: Biography

2026-04-20T06:09:33Z

Biography

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{{short description|Indian geneticist (1932-2008)}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Archana Sharma
| image = Statue of Archana Sharma (botanist).jpg
| caption = Statue of Archana Sharma inside Birla Industrial & Technological Museum campus, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| birth_date = {{birth date|1932|02|16|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Pune]], [[Maharashtra]], India
| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|01|14|1932|02|16|df=yes}}
|death_place = [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]]
| occupation = [[Botanist]]{{·}}[[Cytogeneticist]]{{·}}[[Cell biologist]]{{·}}[[Cytotechnologist]]
| spouse = [[Arun Kumar Sharma]]
}}

'''Archana Sharma''' was an Indian [[Botany|botanist]], [[cytogeneticist]], [[Cell biology|cell biologist]], and cytotoxicologist.<ref>{{cite web|title=Archana Sharma(1932-2008)|url=http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Downloads/article_id_094_05_0672_0672_0.pdf}}</ref> Her widely recognized contributions include the study of speciation in vegetatively reproducing plants, induction of cell division in adult nuclei, the cause of polyteny in differentiated tissues in plants, cytotaxonomy of flowering plants, and the effect of arsenic in water.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Shaping of Indian Science: 1982-2003|pages=1669|url=http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Downloads/article_id_094_05_0672_0672_0.pdf}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Archana Sharma was born on 16 February 1932 in [[Pune]] to a family of academicians, including Professor N.P. Mookherjee, a professor of chemistry at Bikaner.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.insaindia.res.in/BM/BM35_0913.pdf|title=Archana Sharma}}</ref> Her early education was in Rajasthan. She then went on to do her [[Bachelor of Science|B.Sc]]. from [[Bikaner]] and later pursued her [[Master of Science|M.Sc.]] in the Department of Botany at the [[University of Calcutta]] in 1951.{{cn|date=April 2026}} Sharma completed her [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] in 1955 and [[Doctor of Science|D.Sc.]] in 1960, specialising in Cytogenetics, Human Genetics and Environmental Mutagenesis. As a result, she became the second woman to have been awarded a D.Sc. by the University of Calcutta.{{cn|date=April 2026}}

== Career ==
In 1967, Sharma joined the [[University of Calcutta]] as faculty, later becoming a professor of genetics in 1972 in the Centre of Advanced Studies in Cell and Chromosome Research at University of Calcutta.{{cn|date=April 2026}} In 1981, she was promoted to Head of the Department of Botany, succeeding Prof. A.K.Sharma until 1983.{{cn|date=April 2026}}

During her academic career, she supervised over 70 Ph.D. students in the areas of [[cytogenetics]], [[human genetics]], and environmental [[mutagenesis]].<ref name=":0"/>

Sharma's research led to breakthroughs in botanical science. Among her notable findings are topics related to speciation in vegetatively reproducing plants, induction of cell division in adult nuclei, the cause of polyteny in differentiated tissues in plants, cytotaxonomy of flowering plants, and the effect of arsenic in water. Her research and findings on chromosomal study on [[flowering plant]]s led to a new set of perceptions on their classification.<ref name=":0" /> Sharma also worked extensively in human genetics, specifically genetic polymorphism in normal human populations.<ref name=":0" />

Sharma was a member of organizations such as the University Grants Commission, National Commission for Women, Science and Engineering Research Council, Department of Environment, Overseas Scientific Advisory Committee, among various others. Sharma also served as chairperson on the Task Force on Integrated Manpower Development of the Department of Biotechnology.<ref name=":0" />

Sharma was actively involved with prominent policy-making bodies, including Science and Engineering Research Council of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India; Environmental Research Council of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India; the Panel for Co-operation with UNESCO, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India; and various technical committees of University Grants Commission, Department of Science and Technology, and the Department of Biotechnology.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.indianbotanists.com/2015/03/archana-sharma-indian-woman-botanist.html|title=Archana Sharma: An Indian Woman Botanist, a Cytogeneticist, Cell Biologist and a Cytotoxicologist|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-02-16|archive-date=16 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216153411/http://www.indianbotanists.com/2015/03/archana-sharma-indian-woman-botanist.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Publications ==
During her career, Sharma published 10 books and between 300 and 400 research papers. She published the book [https://www.elsevier.com/books/chromosome-techniques/sharma/978-0-408-70942-2 ''Chromosome Techniques - Theory and Practice''] in 1965 with her husband, fellow professor [[Arun Kumar Sharma]].<ref name=":0" /> She was also the founder of ''Nucleus'', an international journal of [[Cell biology|cytology]] and allied topics, and continued to be its editor until 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://feminisminindia.com/2018/07/30/dr-archana-sharma-pioneering-botanist/|title=Dr. Archana Sharma: The Pioneering Indian Botanist {{!}} #IndianWomenInHistory|last=Shah|first=Aditi|date=2018-07-29|website=Feminism In India|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-16}}</ref> She served on the Editorial boards of ''Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy''.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://insaindia.res.in/detail/N77-0749|title=INSA :: Deceased Fellow Detail|website=insaindia.res.in|access-date=2019-02-16|archive-date=16 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216153245/http://insaindia.res.in/detail/N77-0749|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Sharma also edited multiple scientific volumes for publishers such as CRC Press, Oxford, IBH, Kluwer Academic (Netherlands), and Gordon and Beach UK.

== Personal life ==
Sharma was married to [[Arun Kumar Sharma]],<ref name="World Who Is Who and Does What in Environment and Conservation">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iWb7AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA294|title=World Who Is Who and Does What in Environment and Conservation|author=Nicholas Polunin|date=5 November 2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-05938-6|pages=294–}}</ref> considered by many as the ''Father of Indian Cytology''.<ref name="Soni2010">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NkmkxB3sCPUC&pg=PT375|title=Fundamentals Of Botany|author=N. K. Soni|date=1 April 2010|publisher=Tata McGraw-Hill Education|isbn=978-1-259-08349-5|pages=375–}}</ref><ref name="List of 14 Eminent Geneticists (With their Contributions)">{{cite web|url=http://www.biologydiscussion.com/genetics/geneticists/list-of-14-eminent-geneticists-with-their-contributions/35674|title=List of 14 Eminent Geneticists (With their Contributions)|date=2016|publisher=Biology Discussion|access-date=13 September 2016}}</ref>

She died on January 14, 2008.<ref name=":1" />

==Awards==
*G.P. Chatterjee Award, 1995
*S.G. Sinha Award, 1995
*[[Padma Bhushan]] (third-highest civilian award by the President of the India), 1984<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf|title=Padma Awards|date=2015|publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf|archive-date=October 15, 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref>
*Birbal Sahni Medal, 1984
*[[Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry|FICCI]] Award, 1983
*Fellowship at [[Indian Academy of Sciences]], 1977<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ias.ac.in/describe/fellow/Sharma,_Prof._Archana|title=Fellowship {{!}} Indian Academy of Sciences|website=www.ias.ac.in|access-date=2019-02-16}}</ref>
*[[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]], 1975<ref name="View Bhatnagar Awardees">{{cite web|url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/Content/AwardeeList.aspx|title=View Bhatnagar Awardees|date=2016|publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize|access-date=September 4, 2016}}</ref>
*J.C. Bose Award, 1972

==See also==
* [[Timeline of women in science]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1980–89}}
{{SSBPST recipients in Biological Science}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Archana}}
[[Category:Indian women biologists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian biologists]]
[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian geneticists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in medicine]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women scientists]]
[[Category:Cytogenetics]]
[[Category:Women geneticists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Biological Science]]
[[Category:Indian women botanists]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Calcutta]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]

Archana Sharma (botanist) - Revision history

NIULoyd091: Biography