Union Minister for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, outlined the government’s efforts to enhance women’s participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fieldsx. While responding to an unstarred question in Rajya Sabha, he highlighted the Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) initiatives, including the ‘Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN (WISE-KIRAN)’ scheme.
Singh emphasized the fellowship programs designed to support women in research, including the WISE-PhD Fellowship for basic and applied sciences, WISE-Post Doctoral Fellowship (WISE-PDF) for postdoctoral research, and the WIDUSHI Programme, which allows senior women scientists to continue their research careers.
In addition to research opportunities, the WISE Internship in Intellectual Property Rights (WISE-IPR) provides women with on-the-job training in IPR, empowering them with legal knowledge. Another key initiative, the Vigyan Jyoti programme, mentors meritorious schoolgirls, encouraging them to pursue higher education in STEM disciplines, where female participation remains low.
The BioCARe Fellowship, under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), aids women scientists in biotechnology and allied fields, helping them build a successful research career. To further support women entrepreneurs, the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) offers capacity building, mentorship, and seed funding, including through its NIDHI-Seed Support Program (NIDHI-SSP), which provides early-stage funding for women-led startups.
Singh also mentioned the establishment of Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) at women’s universities, including Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW) in Delhi and Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam (SPMVV) in Tirupati. An Inclusive Technology Business Incubator (iTBI) at Delhi Technological University (DTU) promotes inclusivity across gender, caste, and geographical lines.
To drive gender equality in research institutions, the Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) program under WISE-KIRAN aims to create gender-sensitive policies and increase women’s representation in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine).
Also, the Women Scientist Scheme (WOS) helps women return to research. WOS-A supports basic and applied science research, while WOS-B helps develop science and technology solutions to societal challenges. WOS-C, meanwhile, focuses on training women in Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), with 523 women receiving support in the last decade, 40% of whom are now registered Patent Agents.
Singh highlighted that 2,076 women scientists have benefited from WOS-A alone, with 40% completing their PhDs and publishing over 5,000 research papers.
“These initiatives collectively empower women to excel in STEM fields, research, and entrepreneurship, creating a more inclusive scientific ecosystem in India,” Singh said.
