Measurable growth in women’s presence in STEM
Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted data from the DST’s Research and Development Statistics 2025 showing women now comprise about 18.6% of the STEM workforce across government and private sectors. He also noted an increase in women-led extramural R&D projects a key marker of research leadership which rose from 13% in 2000–01 to about 25% in 2019–20.
These improvements reflect both broader educational pipelines and policy instruments designed to retain and promote women scientists through career stages, re-entry support after breaks, and leadership mentoring. DST schemes such as WISE (Women in Science), KIRAN (Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing), Vigyan Jyoti, and INSPIRE form a suite of interventions aimed at different lifecycle stages from school outreach to faculty support.
Policy push and programme design
Officials say the post-2014 push was characterised by scaling up numbers, consolidating fragmented schemes and introducing targeted measures for re-entry and leadership. Programs like WISE provide research fellowships and flexible support for women returning from career breaks; Vigyan Jyoti aims to encourage girls to pursue STEM at the school level; and INSPIRE fellowships and faculty grants strengthen higher-education pipelines.
Dr Singh emphasised that the approach views women not merely as beneficiaries but as decision-makers with growing representation on expert committees, review panels and advisory bodies under DST and other ministries. Inclusion at the policy table, he argued, helps make funding priorities and programme design more responsive to gendered barriers.
Impact and remaining gaps
The rise in supported women scientists and growing representation in research projects signal important progress. Expanded fellowship support and training have widened access to research careers and improved employability in science and technology sectors. The surge in scheme beneficiaries also correlates with larger enrolment and retention trends across universities and technical institutes.
Still, women account for less than one-fifth of the STEM workforce, and gender gaps persist in senior research leadership, pay parity and sectoral representation. Experts say sustaining momentum requires persistent investment in childcare support, flexible career pathways, gender-sensitive recruitment and transparent promotion criteria.
Why this matters
Boosting women’s participation in science is not only a matter of equity but also economic and innovation policy. Diverse research teams tend to produce broader perspectives, higher creativity and better problem-solving outcomes that strengthen India’s push for technology-led growth. The government’s stated aim is to build an inclusive knowledge economy where women scientists play central roles in research, startups and national missions.
