Supernumerary Quota for Women in IITs

The introduction of a supernumerary quota for women in the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in 2018 was a strategic move to address the gender imbalance in undergraduate engineering courses. This policy aimed to increase female representation without reducing the seats available to male candidates.

Impact of the Quota

• Female enrollment increased to between 19% and 21% across IIT campuses.
• The number of seats for women rose from 16,053 in 2020 to 18,168 in 2025.
• However, the proportion of women stands at approximately 20%, indicating limited progress towards inclusivity.

Challenges Beyond Access

Access alone does not ensure a sense of belonging for female students in IITs. The institutions are working towards structural and cultural changes to foster inclusivity.

Initiatives for Inclusivity

• Improved infrastructure: Better hostels, safe recreational spaces, and improved washroom facilities.
• Mental health support: AI-driven tools, peer-support groups, and stress-management workshops.
• Institutional changes: IIT Kharagpur appointed a dean of well-being focused on student care.

Cultural Change and Educational Reform

• Reforming school pedagogy to challenge gendered notions of aptitude.
• Workshops addressing unconscious bias and curricula highlighting achievements of women scientists.
• Government initiatives like Vigyan Jyoti and UDAAN provide support but have uneven impacts.

Barriers and Progress

Despite progress in fields like medicine where women outnumber men, barriers remain in technical fields. However, the leadership of women in significant projects like ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission and Chandrayaan-2 signifies that change is possible.