India’s elite science and engineering classrooms are visibly changing. Women’s intake at the top five IITs —IIT Bombay,IIT Madras,IIT Delhi,IIT Kanpur, andIIT Kharagpur— nearly doubled from 1,621 in 2018 to 3,247 in 2025 following the introduction of supernumerary seats and targeted policy interventions.
On the surface, this appears to be a major step toward gender equity in STEM. But numbers alone do not tell the full story.
Despite higher enrolments, the absolute gender gap widened from 7,007 to 9,153 candidates across these institutions. The pipeline widened at entry — but narrowed as women moved through academic stages and into professional careers.
Globally, increased access has not automatically translated into equality. According toUNESCO, women represent only about 35% of STEM graduates worldwide and remain underrepresented in engineering and technology disciplines.
Similarly, theWorld Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 notes that women are significantly more likely to leave STEM pathways when mentoring, institutional support, and workplace ecosystems are weak.
The pattern is clear: participation rises at entry level but declines sharply at senior academic and leadership positions.
Dr. Poonam Kumari of IIT Guwahati highlights that the challenge begins long before campus admission. Many girls from lower-income households lack access to resources. Others face early marriage, family expectations, or are guided toward short-term vocational courses instead of long-term STEM careers.
Safety and distance also matter. Elite institutes are often far from smaller towns and villages. Hostel access, secure accommodation, and independent mobility remain concerns for families.
Data from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS-II) shows that women’s educational continuation drops significantly after secondary schooling due to mobility restrictions and safety concerns.
Admission is only the first step. Sustaining participation requires supportive infrastructure.
Faculty members point to the lack of childcare facilities, limited spouse accommodation, rigid schedules, and insufficient mentorship structures. Without flexible policies and structured guidance, many women struggle to balance academic progression with family responsibilities.
Recognising this, institutions like IIT Roorkee have launched mentorship initiatives such as the Sakuntala Scheme to support talented female students through scholarships, leadership development and structured mentoring.
Yet, experts agree: isolated schemes are not enough.
The most significant disparity appears after graduation. Women enter STEM education but exit before reaching senior research, faculty, or industry leadership roles.
This reflects global evidence showing that representation steadily declines from students to researchers to decision-makers.
Increasing enrolment expands the initial pool. But without systemic support at every stage — schooling, campus life, early career, and leadership pipelines — parity remains distant.
India has achieved visible change in classrooms. The challenge now is ensuring that the girl entering an engineering college today has the same probability of becoming a professor, innovator, or industry leader as her male peer.
True gender equity in STEM will not come from admissions alone.
It will come from retention, mentorship, structural reform, and sustained institutional commitment.
