women pursuing STEM courses

In recent years, there has been a significant surge in female enrollments in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses in India, as reported by Dr. Subhas Sarkar, the Minister of State for Education. This encouraging trend is attributed to various initiatives implemented by the government to promote inclusivity in technical education.

The Pragati Scholarship, part of this program, aims to recognize and support meritorious girl students by awarding 10,000 scholarships for those entering technical education. The overarching goal is to inspire and facilitate increased participation of female students in higher education.

The TechSaksham Program complements these efforts by utilizing experiential learning methodologies to enhance employability skills among underserved female students pursuing higher education.

Furthermore, the directive for Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to introduce supernumerary seats in undergraduate programs has played a pivotal role in boosting female enrollments. This mandate has resulted in a noteworthy increase, elevating female enrollments from 8% in 2018-19 to an impressive 20% in 2020-21.

According to data from the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), the female enrollment in STEM courses has demonstrated a positive trajectory, rising from 38.4% in 2014-15 to 42.6% in 2021-22 (Provisional).

Comparative data from the World Bank Gender Data accessed in 2023 reveals that India has made commendable progress, with the female share of graduates from STEM comprising 42.7% of tertiary education in 2018. In contrast, other nations such as the US (2016), UK (2016), Australia (2017), and Germany (2017) reported percentages ranging from 27.6% to 38.1%, emphasizing India’s notable strides in promoting gender inclusivity in STEM fields.

These initiatives collectively contribute to breaking barriers and fostering an environment where women feel encouraged to pursue STEM fields. The positive trajectory in female enrollments reflects the success of these initiatives in promoting gender inclusivity in STEM education.

_{Repurposed article originally published in NDTV}