Lok Sabha Question No. 2260 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-02
Subject: Science Education for Women
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Khagen Murmu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2260

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2021

## Science Education for Women

## 2260. SHRI KHAGEN MURMU:

## Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the share of women in scientific organisations and in other premier institutions of higher  learning  remains  far  less  satisfactory  and  needs  to  be  re-energised  right  from  the elementary stage of school education;
- (b) if so, the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  any  plans  to  introduce  the  science  scholarship  scheme  for meritorious  girls  from  the  first  year  of  the  secondary  stage  of  schooling  to  increase  the transition rates of girls from secondary to post-secondary stage of education; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF EDUCATION

## ( SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a) : As per 'Research & Development Statistics at a Glance-2019-20' report of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), as on April 01, 2018, 16.6% women are directly engaged in  Research  &  Development  (R&D)  activities  in  R&D  establishments  in  the  country. Further,  as  per  AISHE  report  2019-20,  at  the  under-graduate  level,  out  of  the  47.55  lakh students enrolled in science stream, 51.7% are female compared to 48.3% male. Similarly, at post graduate level and PhD level as well, the representation of women in science streams is respectively 63.4% and 48.4%.
- (b) to (d) : Government of India has taken various steps to increase the transition rate of women in the field Science and Technology from secondary stage of schooling to post- secondary stage of education. Some of which are listed below:
- VigyanJyoti:  This  program  was  started  in  the  year  2019-20  to  encourage  meritorious  girl students of Class IX-XII to pursue education and career in science and technology

particularly  in  the  areas  where  women  are  under  represented.  Various  activities  such  as Science Camps, special lectures/classes, career counselling, counselling of students-parents, interaction with role models, visit to nearby scientific institutions and industries, access to the  Atal  Tinkering  Labs  (ATLs),  etc  are  conducted  in  the  programme.  Apart  from  these activities, scholarship is also given to the girls of Class XI-XII enrolled under Vigyan Jyoti.

- National  Council  of  Educational  Research  and  Training  (NCERT)  is  running  'National Talent Search Examination (NTSE)' wherein students studying in class 10 th can participate and qualify in the NTSE.
- Government has increased gender balance in undergraduate programmes of Indian Institutes of  Technology  (IITs)  from  about  8%  in  2016-17  to  19.83%  in  2020-21  by  creating supernumerary seats.
- Pragati Scholarship Scheme: The scheme was started in the year 2014 for meritorious girl students to encourage them to pursue higher education.
- Post Doctoral Fellowship for women.
- P.G. Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child.
- There  are  many  other  schemes  which  aim  at  encouraging  scholars  to  pursue  higher education  like  Saksham  Scholarship  Scheme,  All  India  Council  for  Technical  Education (AICTE)  Post  Graduate  Scholarship  Scheme,  AICTE  Doctoral  Fellowship  (ADF),  BSR Faculty Fellowship, Emeritus Fellowship, Dr.D.S. Kothari Post Doctoral Fellowship, Junior Research Fellowship in Science, Humanities and Social Sciences etc.

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