New Delhi: Enrolment of women in Indian Institutes of Technologies (IITs) has increased to 20% in 2021-22 from 8% in 2016 by creating supernumerary seats, Union minister of state for education Subhas Sarkar said on Wednesday.
The minister informed the Rajya Sabha that to improve enrolment of women in undergraduate programmes in IITs, supernumerary seats were created. Similarly, enrolment of young women in NITs has increased to nearly 22.1% in 2021-22.
“There has been consistent improvement in the enrolment of female students in STEM Courses. As per AISHE Report, the number of female students enrolled in STEM Courses has increased from 41,97,186 in 2016-17 to 43,87,248 in 2020-21,” the Ministry of Education said in a statement.
According to the ministry, to encourage young girls to pursue higher education and research, University Grants Commission (UGC) provides special post graduate scholarships.
Similarly, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) also provides 10,000 scholarships (PRAGATI) to girls entering technical education.
The UGC has been implementing schemes for development of women’s studies in Indian universities and colleges, setting up of women hostels for colleges and universities, capacity building of women managers in higher education, establishment of day care centre in central and state universities.
A Sub-Committee under Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) has been constituted to look into the issues related to girls’ education. The interim recommendations of the Sub-Committee inter-alia, include setting up of residential degree colleges and polytechnics for women in the district headquarters, exclusive women university in each state and providing free education to girls up to PG level etc.
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