Lok Sabha Question No. 5418 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Scheme for Encouraging Science to Girl Students
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Basavaraj Bommai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5418 ANSWERED ON 25/03/2026

## SCHEME FOR ENCOURAGING SCIENCE TO GIRL STUDENTS

## 5418.  SHRI BASAVARAJ BOMMAI:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) Whether any scheme is being implemented by the Government to increase the interest and inclination of girls towards science;
- (b) If so, the details thereof; and
- (c) State-wise details of girl students who have been encouraged during the last three years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) to (b): The  Department  of  Science  and  Technology  (DST)  has been  implementing  the  Vigyan  Jyoti  programme  since  2019-20  to encourage meritorious girls to pursue higher education and careers in STEM  (Science,  Technology,  Engineering,  and  Mathematics)  fields. The programme aims to promote gender parity in STEM by sustaining the talent pool in science and technology through various year-round activities, such as hands-on experiential learning sessions, interactions with scientific role models, visits to R&D and industrial laboratories, career guidance workshops, and student-parent counselling  sessions.  These  initiatives  provide  exposure  and  help increase  girls'  interest  and  inclination  towards  science.  Since  its inception, the Vigyan Jyoti programme has benefited 1,12,600 highachieving  girls  from  300  districts  across  34  States  and  Union Territories. To strengthen its impact, the Department of Science and Technology  (DST)  has  engaged  with  over  250  premier  national institutions, including universities, science and technology institutes, CSIR laboratories, and other reputed organizations. These institutions serve  as  knowledge  partners  and  contribute  significantly  to  the programme's  mission  of  fostering  greater  participation  of  girls  in STEM.
- (c) The details of girl students encouraged to pursue science during the last three years, state-wise is given below:

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| State/UTs                        |   2023-24 |   2024-25 |   2025-26 (as on 19.03.2026) |   Total |
|----------------------------------|-----------|-----------|------------------------------|---------|
| Andaman and Nicobar              |       100 |       115 |                          100 |     315 |
| Andhra Pradesh                   |       880 |       889 |                          900 |    2669 |
| Arunachal Pradesh                |       233 |       347 |                          394 |     974 |
| Assam                            |       970 |      1276 |                         1398 |    3644 |
| Bihar                            |       912 |      1243 |                         1197 |    3352 |
| Chandigarh                       |       100 |       103 |                          100 |     303 |
| Chhattisgarh                     |      1066 |      1397 |                         1398 |    3861 |
| Dadar, Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu |       200 |       188 |                          200 |     588 |
| Delhi                            |       195 |       200 |                          200 |     595 |
| Goa                              |        98 |       100 |                          106 |     304 |
| Gujarat                          |      1703 |      1567 |                         1618 |    4888 |
| Haryana                          |       891 |      1580 |                         1604 |    4075 |
| Himachal Pradesh                 |       856 |       972 |                          876 |    2704 |
| Jammu and Kashmir                |       589 |       939 |                          897 |    2425 |
| Jharkhand                        |      1017 |      1265 |                         1287 |    3569 |
| Karnataka                        |      1030 |      1278 |                         1300 |    3608 |
| Kerala                           |       810 |       975 |                         1005 |    2790 |
| Ladakh                           |        99 |       200 |                          200 |     499 |
| Madhya Pradesh                   |      1273 |      1385 |                         1398 |    4056 |
| Maharashtra                      |      1496 |      1709 |                         1803 |    5008 |
| Manipur                          |       289 |       463 |                          468 |    1220 |
| Meghalaya                        |       300 |       394 |                          399 |    1093 |
| Mizoram                          |        90 |        87 |                           82 |     259 |
| Nagaland                         |       104 |        97 |                          100 |     301 |
| Odisha                           |      1082 |      1280 |                         1300 |    3662 |
| Puducherry                       |       399 |       396 |                          400 |    1195 |
| Punjab                           |      1091 |      1480 |                         1501 |    4072 |
| Rajasthan                        |      1263 |      1712 |                         1798 |    4773 |
| Sikkim                           |       167 |       187 |                          100 |     454 |
| Telangana                        |       745 |       771 |                          899 |    2415 |
| Tripura                          |       233 |       299 |                          300 |     832 |
| Uttarakhand                      |       861 |       900 |                          900 |    2661 |
| Uttar Pradesh                    |      1502 |      2566 |                         2604 |    6672 |
| West Bengal                      |       998 |      1083 |                         1100 |    3181 |

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