The chapter states that the title 'India's New Woman Scientist' reflected 'the awe she inspired in a world still sceptical of her capabilities.' This indicates that women scientists were rare and the public was not fully convinced of their abilities, making their achievements noteworthy and surprising. Option A is incorrect because women were not widely celebrated. Option C is incorrect as women were not as common as men in science. Option D is incorrect because Bibha Chowdhuri did study and pursue science.