Page 29 - NIS ENGLISH 1-15 May, 2026
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New India and
Women-led
Leadership
Cover Story
Science & Technology
12.5 lakh Women are joining Numerous studies have demonstrated
the workforce in the
that when women’s participation
fields of science and
technology every year.
in decision-making processes
increases, it infuses the system with
n Women play a pivotal role in significant ISRO missions
such as Aditya-L1 and Chandrayaan-3. greater sensitivity. This constitutes a
n In India, 43 per cent of STEM graduates are women – tremendous strength; consequently,
one of the highest percentages globally. impactful work, executed with greater
n Today, women constitute approximately 18.6 per cent dedication and sensitivity, has been
of the combined workforce employed in STEM-related accomplished across various sectors
fields across both the government and private sectors; such as water, education, healthcare,
this share is steadily rising as more women advance into and nutrition.
roles involving research, innovation, and high technology.
n The All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
Report 2021-22 indicates that women now account for
41% of total PhD enrolments in Science, Engineering,
and Technology disciplines, reflecting their growing
interest and engagement in the fields of science and Government is currently considering raising the legal
technology. marriage age for daughters to 21 years. Today, the
country has enacted stringent laws against crimes
n According to the All India Survey on Higher Education targeting women; for heinous offenses such as rape,
(AISHE) 2021-22, women constitute 43% of the total provisions for the death penalty have also been intro-
enrollments in Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) disciplines at the higher education duced. A large number of fast-track courts are being
level in the country. established across the nation, and administrative
mechanisms are being streamlined to ensure the
n As per the Research and Development Statistics strict enforcement of these laws. From increasing the
Report-2023, women comprise 18.6% of the total number of Women's Help Desks at police stations to
workforce employed as STEM professionals in Research
and Development (R&D) activities across the country. establishing 24-hour helplines and launching portals
to combat cybercrime, numerous such initiatives are
n India's Aditya-L1 mission is being led by a woman; the serving as a protective shield for women. The current
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Central Government operates on a policy of "zero
and six of its laboratories are headed by women; and tolerance" toward crimes against women.
a woman held a leadership role in the Chandrayaan-3 Beyond merely providing legal protection, the
mission.
Central Government has also launched campaigns
n In the realm of research and innovation, women aimed at upholding the dignity and self-respect of
researchers are filing over 5,000 patents annually—a women. Under the majority of the Central Govern-
figure that stood at fewer than 100 just a short while ago. ment's schemes, official documents and entitlements
are issued with the women of the household placed at
25% the very center of the beneficiary framework. Further-
more—before recent reforms—women in Jammu and
Women’s Kashmir who married non-Kashmiris, along with their
children, were previously deprived of their rights to
participation ancestral property. However, following the abrogation
in India’s
semiconductor of Articles 370 and 35A, the women of this region have
workforce finally received their rightful entitlements. Laws have
also been strengthened to address cases involving
Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who marry women only
to subsequently abandon them. At the societal level,
May 01-15, 2026 || NEW INDIA SAMACHAR 27
