Lok Sabha Question No. 1575 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-19
Subject: Women Participation in S&T Schemes
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: P.R. SUNDARAM, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1575 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19/12/2018

## WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN S&T SCHEMES

## 1575.  SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ÉÊ´ÉYÉÉxÉ +ÉÉè® |ÉÉètÉÉäÉÊMÉBÉEÉÒ àÉÆjÉÉÒ be pleased to state:

- (a) the salient features of the Science and Technology (S&T) Schemes for Women;
- (b) the achievements of the said schemes in providing new opportunities for gainful employment of women especially in rural areas;
- (c) the status of implementation of these schemes in various States including Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu;
- (d) whether the Government has taken initiatives to ensure participation of women in the field of science and technology through implementation of suitable gender enabling programmes; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof ?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES AND MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

ÉÊ´ÉYÉÉxÉ +ÉÉè® |ÉÉètÉÉäÉÊMÉBÉEÉÒ àÉÆjÉÉÒ, {Éßl´ÉÉÒ ÉÊ´ÉYÉÉxÉ àÉÆjÉÉÒ +ÉÉè® {ÉªÉÉÇ´É®hÉ, ´ÉxÉ A´ÉÆ VÉãÉ´ÉÉªÉÖ {ÉÉÊ®´ÉiÉÇxÉ àÉÆjÉÉÒ

(bÉ. c­ÉÇ ´ÉvÉÇxÉ)

- (a) The  Department  of  Science  &  Technology  has  been  implementing  a  scheme  'Science  & Technology  for  Women'  with  a  view  to  empower  women  through  inputs  of  Science  and Technology. The broad objectives of this scheme are:
- (1) To promote research, development and adaptation of technology to improve the quality of life, workings conditions for women.
- (2) To provide newer opportunities for gainful employment of women especially in rural areas and empower them through inputs of S & T.
- (3) To reduce drudgery of women through application of Science and Technology.
- (4) To look into women health and nutrition through the application of S&T

(b) The  Scheme  is  focused  on  empowering  women  in  livelihood  generation  through  suitable technologies  and  available  natural  resources  in  their  native  areas  which  has  led  to  income generation and creation of livelihood opportunities for them. The scheme is implemented through grant-in-aid  projects  to  S&T  based  Government  and  Non-Government  Organizations.  Besides individual projects, the scheme also focuses on establishing Women Technology Parks (WTP) that are envisaged to act as a resource centre to train women in rural technologies based on the natural resources for their livelihood and income generation. More than 10,000 women have been trained over last three years through 36 Women Technology Parks and other livelihood related projects located in different parts of the country.

(c) Total 98 individual projects including eight (8) in Maharashtra and ten (10) in Tamil Nadu have been supported under Science & Technology for Women Scheme in last three years. Further, 36 Women Technology Parks (WTPs) have also been established throughout the country including three (3) in Maharashtra and six (6) in Tamil Nadu.

(d) & (e):  Yes, Madam. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has started new scheme 'Knowledge  Involvement  Research  Advancement  through  Nurturing  (KIRAN)'  in  2014-15  to ensure  participation  of  women  in  the  field  of  Science  and  Technology  (S&T)  through  gender enabling programs. One of the program, 'Women Scientist Scheme' provides career opportunities to  unemployed  women  scientists  and  technologists,  especially  those  who  had  a  break  in  career. There  are  three  major  components  of  Women  Scientist  Scheme  namely,  i)  Women  Scientists Scheme-A  (WOS-A)  for  conducting  research  in  Basic  &  Applied  Sciences,  ii)  Women  Scientists Scheme-B (WOS-B) for research projects that entail S&T interventions for Societal Benefit and iii) Women Scientists Scheme-C (WOS-C) that enables them to become Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) professional. In 2016-17, 'Mobility' component has been introduced under KIRAN to address relocation issue of working Women Scientists. In 2017-18, DST launched new program 'Indo-US Fellowship for Women in STEMM' (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine) to  provide  opportunities  to  Indian  Women  Scientists,  Engineers  &  Technologists  to  undertake International  collaborative  research  in  premier  institutions  in  USA  for  duration  of  3-6  months. Further,  Women  Scientists  &  Technologists  are  also  encouraged  to  avail  capacity  building programs related with research & development, entrepreneurship, managerial skills and leadership under  'National Program  for  Training of Women  Scientists &  Technologists working  in Government  Sector'  of  DST.  Under  KIRAN,  institutional  support  is  also  provided  through Consolidation of  University  Research through  Innovation and Excellence in  Women Universities (CURIE)  Programme  in  order  to  enhance  women's  participation  in  Research  &  Development activities in S&T Domain. Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is also implementing 'Biotechnology Career Advancement and Re-orientation Programme (BioCARe)' to enhance the participation of Women Scientists in Biotechnology research.

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