Female enrolment in IITs up from 8% in 2016 to 20% in 2021-22

Enrolment of female students in B.Tech programmes in NITs has increased to nearly 23%.

The enrolment of female students in B.Tech programmes in Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has increased from 8% in the year 2016 to 20% in the year 2021, by creating supernumerary seats. Similarly, the enrolment of female students in B.Tech programmes in National Institutes of Technology (NITs) has increased to nearly 23%.

“This makes more women job ready and it also increases the pool of quality female candidates for professorship,” said Minister of State for Education, Dr. Subhas Sarkar in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

The minister informed that there has been a consistent improvement in the enrolment of female students in STEM courses. As per All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) Report, the number of female students enrolled in STEM courses has increased from 41.97 lakh in 2016-17 to 43.87 lakh in 2020-21.

The Government has taken various steps like fee reduction, establishment of more institutes, scholarship, priority access to national level scholarships to aid students with poor financial backgrounds to pursue their education, etc.

To promote the female students for pursuing higher education and research, University Grants Commission (UGC) provides special scholarship scheme for girl students across the country, namely Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for single girl child.

Similarly, to encourage more and more women in technical education, AICTE is giving 10,000 PRAGATI Scholarships annually to girls from economically weaker sections of society, entering in technical education. The scholarship is applicable to students pursuing polytechnic, engineering, pharmacy and architecture courses in institutions approved by the council.

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