Women Empowerment in IITs

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have witnessed a significant rise in female student enrollment due to a 20% supernumerary quota introduced in 2018. This initiative has gradually increased female representation across various IITs over the past six years.

Implementation of Supernumerary Quota

• In 2018, IITs set aside extra seats specifically for women, following recommendations from a committee led by Timothy Gonsalves.
• Most IITs initially implemented a 14% quota in 2018-19, which increased to 19% by 2019-20, and reached 20% by 2021-22.
• Data from 21 of the 23 IITs indicates a steady increase in female student numbers.

Notable Increases in Female Enrollment

• IIT-Kanpur: Female representation rose from 908 in 2017 to 2,124 in 2024, a 133% increase.
• IIT-Roorkee: Numbers increased from 1,489 in 2019-20 to 2,626 in 2024, a 76.36% jump.
• IITs Chennai, Mumbai, Guwahati, and Kharagpur also showed similar growth.
• IITs Delhi and Bombay surpassed the 20% threshold even before the quota's official implementation in 2017.

Institutional Changes and Initiatives

• IIT Bombay introduced orientation sessions for girls and their parents, boosting female enrolment from 570 in 2017 to 694 in 2024.
• IIT Delhi hosted open house sessions to encourage female student participation.
• IIT Madras shifted its women’s hostel locations for better accessibility, reflecting increased female presence and participation.
• Institutes are promoting gender sensitization and inclusive environments; IIT Roorkee installed security cameras and increased women guards.

Challenges and Areas for Improvement

• Despite progress, stereotypes, mentorship gaps, and lack of inclusive spaces persist.
• At IIT Kanpur, space allocation for women's hostels led to concerns over reduced sports facilities.
• Some male professors at IITs remain unaware of behaviors that may make women uncomfortable.
• Institutions are working to improve physical infrastructure, including more residences and washrooms for women.

Impact on Campus Life

• Gender sensitization workshops are now mandatory at IIT Bombay.
• There is an increased female sports culture, with IITs Delhi and Bombay forming their own women's football teams.
• The enhanced diversity has shifted classroom dynamics and perspectives.

Future Directions

• Efforts are ongoing to create more inclusive academic and social environments at IITs.
• Studies are being conducted on women's experiences in STEM fields to further understand and address challenges.