Zoological Survey of India Gets First Female Director In 100 Years: Meet Dhriti Banerjee

India's Zoological Survey (ZSI) has got a female head for the first time in its 105 year history. The inspiring Dr Dhriti Banerjee becomes the first woman appointed there.

The Indian government approved the appointment of Dr. Dhriti Banerjee as the director of ZSI. Banerjee who is a prolific scientist, conducting research in zoogeography, taxonomy, morphology and molecular systematics, will be taking charge sometime in the next week.

While speaking to a leading daily about her new achievement, she stated that the 100-year legacy of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) would help her to catapult the organisation to the next phase in biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Since 2012, she has worked as the co-ordinator of ZSI's Digital Sequence Information Project. 

Banerjee talked of her support system and career growth. “Women are blessed with unique power to strike a balance between work and family. But I was lucky to have had an exceptionally supportive one - my husband Sughran, daughter Roinee and my  parents."

Furthermore she mentioned that ZSI’s women scientists had been conducting regular surveys examining the faunal diversity from the Himalayas to the deep sea and nearly 60% of the new species have been discovered by the women scientists.

The scientist stated that, contrary to the 20% of the total scientific staff strength in ZSI, that were represented by women, in the past century, their scientific contributions prove that women have played a significant role in fortifying the roots of ZSI.

Founded in July 1916, the ZSI has its headquarters in Kolkata. It has 16 regional centres under the ministry of environment and forests and climate change. ZSI started hiring women scientists as late as 1949, nearly three decades since its inception. Mira Mansukhani created a benchmark by entering the the male dominated organisation as the first women employee. 

On the occasion of its centenary celebrations in 2016, Banerjee had co-authored the “The Glorious 100 Women’s Scientific Contribution in ZSI”, which chronicled the contributions of women scientists in the domain of animal related groups. 

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