“Women Taking Lead in Prestigious Science Projects, says Dr. Jitendra Singh

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 8th Feb. Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space, highlighted the significant contributions of women in leading prestigious science projects such as the Aditya L1 mission and Chandrayaan-3.

Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Dr. Singh emphasized that women are increasingly assuming leadership roles in various science projects, marking a notable shift in the landscape of scientific research and innovation.

With women now constituting 43% of enrollment in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine) streams at the higher education level, Dr. Jitendra Singh expressed optimism about their growing participation in professional scientific roles in the near future. He underscored that this trend would likely lead to higher representation of women in science and technology institutions, industries, and startups.

Highlighting the government’s commitment to promoting gender equality in the field of science, Dr. Singh reassured the House that there is no gender bias in promotions, and efforts are underway to improve the overall representation of women in science and technology jobs.

He mentioned the WISE-KIRAN (Women in Science and Engineering-Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing) Scheme, initiated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and extended under PM Modi’s tenure, as a significant step towards empowering women scientists and technologists.

Dr. Singh elaborated on the various components of the WISE-KIRAN Scheme, including the Women Scientist Scheme (WOS), which provides opportunities to unemployed women scientists and technologists to pursue research in frontier areas of science and engineering. He highlighted the success of the scheme, with over 2,153 women scientists benefiting from it in the last five years.

Furthermore, Dr. Jitendra Singh outlined new initiatives introduced under the WISE-KIRAN Scheme during the 2023-24 period, such as the WISE Fellowship for Ph.D. (WISE-PhD), WISE Post-Doctoral Fellowship (WISE-PDF), and WISE-SCOPE, aimed at addressing societal challenges through science and technology interventions.

These efforts under the WISE-KIRAN Scheme aim to foster gender parity across STEM fields and empower women scientists to contribute significantly to scientific advancements and societal development.