Meet D. Indumathi, a physicist who has spent decades exploring some of the universe’s most elusive particles, neutrinos. Recently retired, she built her career in high-energy physics, asking questions that most of us wouldn’t even know how to frame.
Physics is often seen as intimidating — abstract, mathematical, distant. But Indumathi approaches it with clarity and conviction, breaking down complex ideas without stripping away their wonder. In doing so, she not only opens a window into the strange world of neutrinos, but also quietly redefines what it means to be a woman in science: not as an exception, but as an equal mind at work.
Dr. D. Indumathi is an Indian particle physicist and former professor at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences. A specialist in high-energy physics phenomenology, her research spans atmospheric and solar neutrinos, nuclear structure, collider physics, and quantum electrodynamics at finite temperature. She has been closely associated with the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) — serving as an outreach coordinator, and contributing to the design of its proposed underground detector. Beyond research, she is deeply committed to science communication. She edits Jantar Mantar, a bi-monthly children’s science magazine, and has consistently worked to encourage scientific curiosity, especially among young girls.
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Explaining the unseen: Neutrinos and their mysteries
Our first question to Indumathi was simple: how would she explain her work on neutrinos to a curious Class 9 student?
She responded candidly and starts with basic concept: I would like to start not with neutrinos, but with fundamental particles. For example, the electron. A little more than 100 years ago, J. J. Thomson discovered the electron purely out of curiosity. At that time, it had no obvious use. But once we understood its properties, we found countless applications. Today, you cannot imagine electronics, electricity, computers, or phones without electrons.
That is the difference between basic science research and applications. Without basic discovery, applications cannot exist.
Now, about neutrinos: they are fundamental elementary particles, like electrons. We believe they have no substructure. But here is the fascinating part — after light, neutrinos are the most abundant particles in the universe, and yet we understand them the least. That alone is reason enough to study them.
Neutrinos are also deeply connected to quantum mechanics. They help us probe the universe, even giving clues about its origin. They hold keys to open problems in particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. They are everywhere, and still mysterious.
“A job is not only about money. It is about having purpose, focus, and intellectual engagement. You must build something of your own life.”D Indumathi
Clarity over complexity: Demystifying the path to success
Talking with Indu puts you at ease. There is no dramatic posturing, no grand declarations — just clarity. Especially for young women unsure of their path, she offers something steady and practical. She does not romanticise struggle, nor does she deny it. She speaks with the assurance of someone who knows her strengths and has quietly observed the structures around her.
When asked whether there was a moment she realised she was pushing against expectations as a woman in science, she begins not with resistance, but with gratitude. “I have been very lucky,” she says. “In my family, my sister and I were always expected to have careers. It was never optional. My father especially wanted us to be passionate about what we do.”
Yet she is quick to point out that her experience is not universal. She has watched social patterns play out repeatedly. “Many middle-class homemakers dedicate 15–20 years to raising children. Once the children leave home, there is suddenly an emptiness. Many experience depression, but mental health support is still stigmatised.”
For her, the lesson is clear and unsentimental. “A job is not only about money,” she tells young girls. “It is about having purpose, focus, and intellectual engagement. You must build something of your own life.”
Confidence and doubt coexisting
Scientists are often imagined as certain — people who speak in equations and never hesitate. But Indumathi gently dismantles that myth. Confidence, she suggests, is something that grows on the surface. “Outwardly, you become more confident with age — teaching, public speaking, answering questions builds that,” she says. Years of explaining ideas naturally steady your voice.
Inside, however, the story is different. “As you grow older, you realise how much you do not know. There are so many things left to learn. That awareness increases.” In her view, confidence and doubt are not opposites. “They coexist.” The deeper you go into physics, the more you recognise the vastness of what remains unexplored.
Photo: Getty Images
Failure, too, is less dramatic than we imagine — and more common. “In India, failure is not really accepted, especially in middle-class families. We say ‘it’s okay,’ but we don’t mean it,” she observes. But research, by definition, is stepping into the unknown. “You are solving problems nobody has solved before. You may not succeed.”
Even her own students struggle with this discomfort. “When I give open-ended problems and say, ‘I can’t solve it either,’ they feel uncomfortable.” The urge today, she notes, is to search for instant answers. “Students look for answers immediately online. But they must first think. Imagine possible solutions. Argue with yourself. Only then check books.”
“Even if you don’t become a scientist, you must develop scientific temperament. In today’s world, especially with AI, it is essential to know how to evaluate truth and think rationally.”D Indumathi
Importance of support and shared responsibilities
Her advice extends beyond classrooms. Parents, she feels, must stop living through their children. “If a child fails, find what they are good at. Every student must do well in something, but not necessarily everything.” In a system where board exams can feel unforgiving, she believes this contradiction — saying failure is fine while punishing it harshly — is something that must change.
Gender Equity: Changing mindsets from childhood
What kind of support matters more than inspiration for women in science?
The biggest issue is social structure. Many women study science up to MSc or PhD, but attrition is high later.
Women are expected to handle home responsibilities in addition to their careers. That must change. Men must share responsibilities equally.
But it also begins in childhood. Boys are rarely asked to do household work. Girls are conditioned differently from a young age. That implicit conditioning shapes confidence and choices.
Ask her about misconceptions, and she smiles — this one comes up often.
“Many students think a BSc in physics or mathematics only leads to teaching,” she says. Research rarely appears on career charts the way engineering or medicine does. But science doesn’t end in a classroom. “There are opportunities in industry, research labs, materials science, computing. Career awareness needs to improve.”
And even if you don’t become a scientist? She shrugs lightly. “You must still develop a scientific temperament.” In a world shaped by algorithms and AI, the real skill is simpler: knowing how to question, verify, and think clearly.
“Young boys must grow up seeing women as equally capable colleagues, not threats.”D Indumathi
Encouraging men to embrace equity
When asked what boys should learn early about sharing responsibilities and gender equity, she does not hesitate.
Young men sometimes feel that women entering the workforce reduce their opportunities. That is not true. It is not men versus women.
Equity does not mean charity. It means fairness when candidates are equally qualified.
I remember someone telling me I would get a postdoc because I was an Asian woman. I said, “Shouldn’t I get it because I am a good physicist?”
Young boys must grow up seeing women as equally capable colleagues — not threats.
Ask her if women still hold themselves back, and she answers instantly: “All the time.”
In co-educational classrooms, she has watched it happen repeatedly. Girls hesitate to raise their hands. They worry about being judged. Boys, she notes, rarely carry that same pause. “This conditioning begins early.” Many girls even ask her, “How did you even start? Did your parents allow it?” That question, she feels, reveals how deeply social expectations shape confidence.
So what should a young girl do if she is unsure? Her advice is quiet, almost personal. “Start privately. When you solve a problem or understand something deeply, that joy belongs only to you. Accumulate those moments.” Confidence, she believes, is built internally first. “Build confidence internally before announcing your ambitions publicly. Let clarity grow from your own understanding.” And often, she adds gently, it begins with a good teacher. “Follow that feeling.”
“The greatest freedom is intellectual independence,” she adds.
When asked what success means to her, she says “I was never very ambitious. I enjoyed what I did. There are many competent physicists in India. I am one of them. I am satisfied, though I could always have done more.”
She adds, “Success, for me, is enjoying the work.”
When asked about the tug-of-war between passion and practicality, she resists giving a dramatic answer. “It depends on circumstances,” she says simply. For some, financial stability is urgent and non-negotiable. But beyond that urgency, she believes curiosity can exist anywhere. “In any field, you can find joy if you approach it with curiosity. The balance between money and freedom is personal.” And whatever you gain, she adds, let it move beyond you: “If you earn more, use it meaningfully. If you gain knowledge, share it.”
Women’s Day: A space for reflection
And on Women’s Day, her tone turns reflective rather than celebratory:
These days can become commercialised, but they also create space for reflection.
Ask yourself: What are my expectations for my life? What are my family’s expectations ?Have we talked about them?
Role models matter — not only brilliant ones. Ordinary women pursuing their interests also inspire.
Women’s Day should be a moment of awareness and honest thinking.
