Lok Sabha Question No. 2943 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-16
Subject: Women for Scientific Research
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI, SANTOSH AHLAWAT, OM PRAKASH YADAV, C.R. CHAUDHARY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2943 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16/12/2015

## W OMEN FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEAR C H

## 2943. SHR I SUMEDHANAND SARS W ATI: SHRIM ATI SAN TOSH AHL AW AT: SHR I O M PRAKASH YAD AV: SHR I C.R .CHAUDHA RY:

W ill the Ministerof SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY òãðìððÐð ¡ðøÜ ÑßðøÌðð÷ò±ð¨îó Ùðüëðó

be please d t o state:

- (a) whether any tas k forc e has been constitute d fo r promotion ofwome n talent i n scientifi cresearch;
- (b) i f so ,th e detail sand statu s thereof;
- (c) whether the Governmen t has approved and finalise d the reportsubmittedby the sai d tas k forc e on wome n i n science;
- (d) i fso ,th e detail sthereo fand theaction take n by the Governmen tthereon;
- (e ) whether the Gover nmen tproposest o inductmor ewome n talen ti n th escientific researc h i n the country ;and
- (f ) i fso ,th e detail sthereo fand theaction take n i n thi sregard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE M INISTRY 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) Yes, Madam. (b) In 2005 the Government appointed a Task force for Women in Science under the chairpersonship of Dr. Mehtab  Bamji,  Retd.  Director,  National  Institute  of  Nutrition,  Hyderabad,  to  suggest  measures  which significantly enhance the number of women pursuing a career in science and technology and also suggest suitable gender enabling & empowering measures for working women scientists. (c) Yes, Madam. (d) The task force had several rounds of discussions in different parts of the country followed by level brain -storming held at Delhi which wa s inaugurated by the then President of India - Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil. The report of this Task Force was published by the Department of Science & Technology and circulated The Task Force made the following recommendations:
1. Fostering and su pporting women resources in S&T:
- A. Affirmative action to improve women's ratios
- i) Introduce time -bound recruitment target system (TRS)
- ii) Women representation in search/hiring committees
- iii) Addressing proactively the unwritten/irrational barriers on employment of spouses
- iv) Women -friendly proceedings of search/selection/hiring committees
- v) Priority  to  women  candidates  in  part -time  jobs/jobs  with  flexible  working  hours  and  those  workabl from home .
- vi) Many of these recommendations were included in the Memorandum of Expendi ture Finance Committee of the recently launched KIRAN (Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing) programme which is now being implemented by the Department of Science & Technology.

- B. Enabling measures for career a dvancement and re - entry
- i) Target research programs for women scientists
3. ii) Refresher training & mentorship programmes for women scienti sts for re -entry in R&D careers after a career break
- C. Breaking the glass ceiling
- i) Promote women scientists as science planne rs and managers
- D. Support related issues at workplace
- i) Financial support for improvement of overall generic facilities such as crèches, toilets, camp and safe transportation for post -docs and scientists
8. ii) Compliance of the Supreme Court gui delines
9. iii) Separate procedure for handling complaints of harassment by women scientists    against the hea the institutions
10. iv) Provision for air travel even for women who are not eligible/particularly in difficult/far -flung/isolated areas
2. Measure s to attract girls into science careers
- i) Summer/winter science camps for girls who have opted for science
13. ii) Well- planned role -model programmes with successful women scientists
14. iii) Special fellowship scheme for girl toppers in university examinations
15. iv) Safe hostel accommodation in towns & cities
- v) Free/subsidized residential science schools for girls
17. vi) Opportunities for closer interaction for school or college students with women scientists during conferences
18. vii) Educational reforms
19. viii) Reinforcing representation of girls and women in science text books
3. New policies/rules and initiatives
- i) National level gender/segregated data collection/annual up -gradation and processes monitoring
22. ii) Institute transformation award
23. iii) From m aternity leave to family leave
24. iv) Salary - linked childcare allowance in the absence of crèche on campus
- v) Gender unit in all the state council for science, technology and environment
26. vi) Establishment/augmentation of infrastructure of women's universitie s
27. vii) Promoting entrepreneurship and self -employment for women scientists

The  recommendations  of  this  Task  Force  were  broadly  included  in  the  recently  launched  KIRAN  (Knowled Involvement  in  Research  Advancement  through  Nurturing)  programme  which  is  no w being  implemented  by  the Department of Science & Technology.

- (e) Yes, Madam.
- (f) Knowledge  Involvement  Research  Advancement  through  Nurturing  (KIRAN)  Programme  is  being implemented by the Department of Science & Technology to provide career opportuniti es to hose women scientists who had a break in their career due to various familial responsibilities in order to bring them back to ma . It is primarily aimed at gender parity in Science & Technology sector by inducting more women talent in the re earch & development  domain  through  various  programmes ,  namely,  Women  Fellowship  Schemes  [i.e.  Women  Scientist Scheme - A  (WOS -A),  Women  Scientist  Scheme -B  (WOS -B)  and  Women  Scientist  Scheme -C  (WOS -C),  and Institutional support through Consolidation of Univer sity Research through Innovation and Excellence in Women Universities (CURIE)] scheme besides training them in Entrepreneurship Development and Science Communicati and  Mobility  Scheme.  Further,  they  are  also  encouraged  to  avail  of  capacity  building  schem es  related  to  basic research, societal development and self -employment.
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