ANNA MANI

ANNA MANI (August 23, 1918 - August 16, 2001)

She was an Indian physicist and meteorologist, with an extensive scientific career at the Indian Meteorological Department.

Her contributions in the field of meteorological instrumentation were important and significant. She did a lot of research, and wrote many articles on solar radiation, ozone, and wind energy measurements.

BIOGRAPHY

Anna Mani was born in Peermade, Travancore, her father was a civil engineer, she was the seventh of eight children, during her childhood, she was impressed by Gandhi´s activities during his Vaikom satyagraha (System of struggle, resistance, and disobedience).

She felt also inspired by a nationalist movement and she wore as resistance khaki garments (indigenous clothes.)

She wanted to study medicine, but she decided in favour of physics because she liked it. In 1939 she graduated from the Presidency College in Madras in physics and chemistry.

CAREER

After graduation, she worked with professor C.V.Raman, investigating the optical properties of ruby and diamond. She authored five research papers, and was not awarded a doctorate because she did not have a masters degree in physical. Then she moved to Great Britain to continue studies in physics but she finished studying metrological instruments at Imperial College London. When she returned to India in 1948 she joined the department of meteorology in Pune. She published numerous research papers on meteorological instruments. She was a member of many scientific organizations and in 1987, she received the INSA K. R. Ramanathan Medal for her achievements. She died on August 16th, 2001.

MIGUEL ÁNGEL GIL – ENGLISH FOR FUN 3ºB