The Department of Science and Technology (DST) reports an increase in female participation in Research & Development projects, with the figure rising from 13% in 2000-01 to 28% in 2018-19. The increase is attributed to various initiatives by successive governments. The ministry now aims to raise women’s participation in Science and Technology (S&T) to 30% by 2030.
DST’s Findings on Women’s Participation in S&T
According to data from DST, the number of women principal investigators in R&D increased more than fourfold from 232 in 2000-01 to 941 in 2016-17. Meanwhile, the proportion of female researchers rose from 13.9% in 2015 to 18.7% in 2018. Despite the increasing overall trend, there are fewer female researchers in engineering and technology than in natural sciences, health, and agriculture. However, women accounted for 36.4% of researchers in social sciences and humanities.
Women’s Representation at Post-Doctoral Level
While female participation is robust up to the postgraduate level, it declines at the post-doctoral level, where the bulk of research is conducted. Although this number has risen, it still falls short of the 30% global average.
Findings of the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2019
According to AISHE, women compose 53% of science education students at the bachelor’s level and 55% at the master’s level. However, at the doctoral level, women, at 44%, still lag behind men, who account for 56%.
An Overview of Women’s Participation in the Science Sector
The number of science researchers in India has doubled from 30,000 in 2014 to over 60,000 in 2022. Biotechnology and medicine have the highest representation of women at 40% and 35% respectively. Of the 97 scientists at DST, 35 are women, and women head 61% of the divisions.
Women’s Participation in Other Institutions
Representation of women in other institutions varies, with Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) having 18%, NIPER Hyderabad 21%, Defence Bio-Engineering and Electro-Medical Lab (DEBEL) in Bangalore 33%, Delhi University 33%, and Tezpur University in Assam 17%.
Government Initiatives for Women in Science
The Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI), Vigyan Jyoti Scheme, Indo-US Fellowship for Women in STEMM (WISTEMM) program, and Consolidation of University Research for Innovation and Excellence in Women Universities (CURIE) Programme are some of the initiatives taken by the government to promote women in the S&T sector.
Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI)
Launched by DST, GATI aims to develop a Charter and a framework to evaluate gender equality in STEM. The first phase of GATI focuses on enhancing female participation in leadership roles, faculty positions, and the overall number of female students and researchers.
Vigyan Jyoti Scheme
This scheme by DST intends to create equal opportunities for meritorious high school girls to pursue STEM in higher education. It gives special attention to rural students, helping them plan their journey from school to their chosen career in the field of science.
Indo-US Fellowship for WISTEMM Program and CURIE Programme
The Indo-US Fellowship allows women scientists to work in research labs in the US, while the CURIE Programme is aimed at improving R&D infrastructure and establishing advanced research facilities in women universities.