Big achievement of Kashmiri Scientist: Dr. Nashiman became the first Kashmiri woman to get SERB fellowship, said – things will be difficult, but do not give up

International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8 March. Although every day belongs to women, but this day is specially dedicated to women. On this occasion, we will talk about such a woman, who has made her mark in the world of science by coming out of the boundaries created by the society. The woman we are talking about today is Dr. Nashiman Ashraf. He has received Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB-POWER) Fellowship in Life Science.

Nashiman is the first Kashmiri woman to receive the SERB-POWER Fellowship 2022. This has led to an initiative to recognize Indian women researchers in the male-dominated Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) field. He says women need to believe in themselves and push out of their limits.

Opportunity to work at University of Kentucky, USA
Nashiman has also received CSIR Raman Research Fellowship. Under this, he worked as a visiting scientist at the University of Kentucky, USA. At the same time, Nashiman has also been awarded the EMBO Short-Term Fellowship to work in Spain.

Dr. Nashiman’s research has been published in National and International Journal.

Nashiman is Senior Scientist in CSIR-IIIM
Presently Nashiman is working as Senior Scientist in Plant Biotechnology Division of CSIR-IIIM in Srinagar. His research is mainly focused on the improvement of saffron, the prized crop of the valley. He says that our aim is to increase the cultivation of saffron and to provide good quality saffron to the people. This will benefit both the public and the farmer.

Ph.D from JNU degree of
Dr. Nashiman, who grew up in Srinagar, says that she has been fond of trying different things since childhood. Because of this, his interest increased towards science. Nashiman did her post graduation in Biochemistry from GB Pant Agricultural and Technology University, Uttarakhand. Later Ph.D. from National Institute of Plant Genome Research, JNU. Of. His research has been published in national and international publications such as Journal of Biological Chemistry, Scientific Reports and BMC Genomics.

Fewer women choosing careers in STEM
Nashiman says her journey was not an easy one, as the Valley has a small number of women in senior positions, especially those choosing careers in STEM. In such a situation, we need to do a lot of work, so that women choose their career in science without fear and they do not have to face discrimination.

Nashiman believes that the life of a researcher is full of stress, but all the tension disappears when you understand nature. This increases your knowledge and the desire to be able to do something for people takes you closer to the goal.

advice for women
Nashiman has advice for women. He said that things may seem difficult, but it is not impossible. Tackle big problems boldly, explore every aspect well by yourself or with cooperation and don’t give up.