Irawati Karve (15 December 1905 – August 11, 1970) was an Indian sociologist, anthropologist, educator, and writer from Pune, Maharashtra, India. She studied Philosophy at Fergusson College, before obtaining a Master’s Degree in 1928 from Bombay University as a recipient of the Dakshina Fellowship. She earned her doctorate from Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Anthropology, Human Heredity, and Eugenics. Later, she worked as an administrator and teacher, setting up the anthropology department of the University of Pune. She also served as Vice Chancellor of SNDT University.
Irawati Karve is considered to be the first female anthropologist from India.
