Lok Sabha Question No. 4544 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-29
Subject: Women Scientists
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: RAMESH POKHRIYAL NISHANK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4544 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29/3/2017

## WOMEN SCIENTISTS

## †4544.  DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK':

## Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY òãðìððÐð ¡ðøÜ ÑßðøÌðð÷ò±ð¨îó Ùðüëðó be pleased to state:

(a) the percentage of women in the scientific laboratories and institutions in the country; (b) the steps taken by the Government to attract girls towards science and technology from school level itself; (c) whether there is any provision for providing special facilities for women  scientists in laboratories/institutions keeping in view their domestic difficulties; (d) if so, the details thereof; and

- (e) the other steps taken by the Government to increase the number of women scientists in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES (SHRI.Y. S. CHOWDARY) òãðìððÐð ¡ðøÜ ÑßðøÌðð÷ò±ð¨îó ÙðüëððâðÚð Ùð÷ü Üð¸Úð Ùðüëðó +ÉÉè® ÑðöÆãðó òãðìððÐð ÙðüëððâðÚð Ùð÷ü Üð¸Úð Ùðüëðó

## (gÉÉÒ ´ÉÉ<Ç. AºÉ. SÉÉèvÉ®ÉÒ)

- (a) As per the latest Official Statistics available (2011-12), out of 1.93 lakh persons in Research & Development (R&D), there are 27,532 women scientists  directly  engaged  in  R&D  activities  at  various research institutions, which constitute 14.3% of the total. (b) Under the programme 'Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)' there is a component called 'INSPIRE Award' that aims to motivate students, both boys and girls, in the age group of 10-15 years and studying in class 6 to 10 to pursue science and a career in Research. This is in operation since the year 2009-10 and is implemented centrally through the States and Union Territories. (UTs). Till date 13.86 lakh INSPIRE Awards have been sanctioned and girls constitute 47% of the awardees. (c) & (d):  Yes Madam.  Facilities like crèches and residential quarters have been provided to women scientists in Autonomous Institutions of Department of Science & Technology. (e) In the year 2014, Department of Science and Technology has restructured all the women specific programs  under  one  umbrella  called  'KIRAN  (Knowledge  Involvement  in  Research  Advancement through Nurturing)'. Women Scientist Scheme under KIRAN is meant for those women who had break in  career  primarily  due  to  domestic  responsibilities  and  it  provides  them  the  opportunity  to  return  to mainstream. It has three components [Women Scientist Scheme-A (WOS-A) to enable unemployed women scientists  &  technologists  to  pursue  research  in  basic  or  applied  sciences,  Women  Scientist  Scheme-B (WOS-B) to address societal issues at the grassroots level and find appropriate S&T solutions, and Women Scientist  Scheme-C  (WOS-C)  to extend  alternative  career  option  of  wage/self-employment  by  training women in Intellectual Property Rights]. Another mandate of KIRAN is to develop and/or strengthen stateof-the-art R&D infrastructure in women-only universities that helps women to enhance their skills and knowledge  in  order  to  make  a  fulfilling  career  in  S&T  domain  through  an  initiative  called  'CURIE (Consolidation  of  University  Research  for  Innovation  and  Excellence  in  women  universities)'.  Six  (6) women-only universities have been supported so far. The enrollment of girl students in under-graduate and post-graduate has enhanced three-folds after CURIE support and it also cultivated and promoted research culture in these Universities which is evident by significant increase in Ph.D enrollment and also in National Eligibility Test (NET) and Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering (GATE) qualification.
- ********