'Don’t make me famous': IISc woman professor’s response to praise for Chenab Railway bridge goes viral

At a time when social media often turns professionals into overnight celebrities, a quiet and humble post by an Indian scientist is winning hearts across the country. Dr. G Madhavi Latha, a geotechnical engineering professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), recently took to LinkedIn to acknowledge the inauguration of the world’s highest railway bridge—the Chenab Bridge. But instead of basking in the spotlight, her post urged restraint: “Please don’t make me unnecessarily famous.” Her message, laced with humility and clarity, is going viral for all the right reasons.

On June 6, India celebrated the inauguration of the Chenab Railway Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, an engineering marvel that stands 359 metres above the riverbed, 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower. As images of the breathtaking bridge began flooding timelines, so did tributes to the minds behind it. Among them was Dr. Latha, who played a key role in the project’s structural stability and slope design, but insists her contribution was just one among thousands.

Her LinkedIn Post

“I was a geotechnical consultant to AFCONS,” she wrote, explaining that her role focused on developing slope stabilisation schemes and designing foundations on the precarious Himalayan terrain. She added that headlines calling her “the woman behind the mission” or claiming she “performed miracles” were baseless. “There are millions of unsung heroes to whom I salute today,” she wrote, adding that all credit belongs to Indian Railways and the entire engineering team.


The Chenab Bridge, a Rs 1,486 crore endeavour, is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), one of India’s most ambitious and challenging infrastructure projects. The mountainous terrain, harsh weather, and unstable slopes made the engineering feat anything but ordinary. Dr. Latha’s technical guidance spanned nearly two decades, and her published paper on the bridge’s geotechnical complexities has been widely appreciated within the engineering community.


Yet, Dr. Latha, currently in Spain for a conference, used her viral moment to redirect attention to the collaborative nature of national projects. She acknowledged the emotional outpouring from families and students who said she inspired them, but gently reminded the public that she was “just one among thousands.”

About Dr Latha

Dr. Latha’s journey, however, is undeniably inspiring. Raised in a small village in Andhra Pradesh, she earned her B.Tech from JNTU, her M.Tech from NIT Warangal (where she won a gold medal), and a PhD from IIT Madras. Now a senior professor at IISc Bengaluru, she has received several accolades, including the Best Woman Geotechnical Researcher Award (2021) and recognition among India’s “Top 75 Women in STEAM” (2022).