Indian Scientist Kuljeet Kaur Marhas Creates History As First Indian Woman Elected Fellow Of The Meteoritical Society as reported by News18.
Indian scientist Kuljeet Kaur Marhas has created history by becoming the first Indian woman to be elected Fellow of The Meteoritical Society, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific organisations dedicated to planetary science and meteoritics.
According to News18, the honour places Marhas among an elite group of global scientists recognised for their contributions towards understanding meteorites, planetary materials, and the origins of the Solar System.
Marhas is not only the first Indian woman to receive the recognition but also only the third Indian scientist in the society’s history to be elected Fellow. Before her, the honour had been awarded to renowned Indian scientists Devendra Lal and JN Goswami.
News18 reported that the achievement holds special significance because meteoritics and cosmochemistry remain highly specialised scientific fields traditionally dominated by institutions and researchers from the United States, Europe, and Japan.
Kuljeet Kaur Marhas is currently based at Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, where she has spent several decades studying ancient extraterrestrial materials using advanced isotopic analysis techniques. Her research focuses on understanding how planets, asteroids, and the Solar System evolved over 4.5 billion years ago.
Marhas serves as a professor in the Planetary Science Division at PRL, one of India’s leading institutions for planetary science and astrophysics, which is closely associated with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
According to News18, she is internationally recognised for her expertise in advanced isotopic analytical tools such as Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) and NanoSIMS technology.
After returning to India following research work overseas, Marhas played a key role in establishing one of the country’s most advanced NanoSIMS facilities at PRL, significantly strengthening India’s research capabilities in planetary science and cosmochemistry.
Beyond her scientific research, Marhas has also contributed extensively to the international scientific community. News18 noted that, according to her PRL profile, she has served as a council member of The Meteoritical Society, participated in NASA review panels, contributed to scientific advisory committees, and worked on editorial boards for planetary science journals and publications.
She is also a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and has previously received the Devendra Lal Memorial Medal in recognition of her contributions to planetary science and cosmochemistry.
Her election as Fellow of The Meteoritical Society is being regarded as a landmark achievement for Indian science and an important moment for women researchers in highly specialised scientific disciplines.