Recent data from the World Bank reveals that India’s colleges and universities have more female graduates in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) as a percentage (43%) than other developed nations, according to the Times of India. Comparatively, women represent 34% of STEM graduates in the U.S., 27% in Germany, 38% in the UK, and 32% in France.
Why does India have a higher percentage of women STEM?
According to Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a number of government programs have successfully encouraged women to enter or remain in STEM.
“This includes implementations of schemes exclusively for women like ‘Knowledge Involvement Research Advancement through Nurturing (Kiran)’ to encourage women in the field of science and technology,” he told the Times.
KIRAN addresses “various issues related with women scientists,” such as losing a job or having to move due to marriage or starting a family. The program aims to “provide opportunities in research,” “technology development/demonstration”, and self-employment” under the Women Scientists Scheme, a program that aims to provide “opportunities to women scientists and technologists” between ages 27 and 57 who want to return to work after taking time off, according to the nation’s Department of Science and Technology,
KIRAN also takes “proactive measures” under the Consolidation of University Research for Innovation and Excellence in Women Universities (CURIE) “to develop state-of-the-art infrastructure” in women’s universities “to attract, train and retain promising girls students in S&T domain,” the department states.
Pradhan added that the KIRAN program’s “mobility scheme” allows women scientists to continue working while dealing with relocation issues related to personal issues such as marriage and caretaking. Additionally, he said the country’s Info-US Fellowship for Women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) has given women STEM professionals opportunities to join “international collaborative research in premier institutions in the U.S. for 3-6 months.”
Pradhan also told the Times that programs like the Vigyan Jyoti program for meritorious girl students have increased the participation of women in STEM. The Vigyan Jyoti program is an initiative from the Department of Science and Technology that creates “a level-playing field for the meritorious girls to pursue STEM.” According to the department, the program has been implemented successfully in 50 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (schools for talented students in rural areas) since 2019, and is being extended to 50 more for the 2021-22 school year.
See more on the topic of Girls in STEM on IEEE TryEngineering.