Dr. Sanchita Shil – Genius From Siliguri

It’s really hard to believe that a girl from a small town like Siliguri would become a scientist and would invent something so important to contribute to the security of the nation. Yes, it’s been made possible by Dr. Sanchita Shil, who hails from Bagdogra, Siliguri and her senior, Dr Umapathy, have developed a ground-breaking non-invasive technique to identify explosive and hazardous chemicals hidden inside containers, including non-metallic ones such as envelopes, plastics and coloured bottles.

Sanchita and Umapathy have developed a portable, easy-to-operate table-top setup that helps detect explosive materials, and according to the duo, it can come of good use to the police and armed forces. Titled ‘Universal Multiple Angle Raman Spectroscopy (UMARS)‘, the technology is based on the Raman spectroscopy platform and explores the molecular signatures of the liquid being carried without the bottle being opened. UMRAS will be very handy in airports, railway stations, bus stations and ports.

Sanchita since her childhood was very sharp in her studies and always wanted to be a scientist to contribute to the growth of the nation. Presently working at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Sanchita says, “I never dreamed about success, I worked for it. India does not have dearth of talent. Premier institutes such as IISc, IITs and IISERs are at par with other global institutes. We need to provide better resources to our universities and colleges and offer quality education right from the school level.”

Sanchita’s father, Dr NK Shil, a dentist by profession, recalls that his daughter was an extra ordinary child with amazingly sharp skills from her childhood days. She made not only her family proud of what she did but also brought the name of our Siliguri in limelight.

In other word, Dr. Sanchita Shil is the one of the exceptional example of hard work & perseverance. She is an inspiration for today’s youths who dreams of creating something big. She proved to the world that determination and hard work always pay offs. A big salute to her from all of us.