Where Are Their Seniors?

It’s wonderful news that more than 10,000 girls have cleared the JEE Advanced exam this year and can study at top engineering colleges like the IITs, NITs and IIITs. This did not happen by chance. It shows how good policies can help talented students get opportunities.

One important policy was started by the IITs in 2018. They created extra seats for girls, called supernumerary seats. These were additional seats, so no existing seats were taken away. The goal was to increase the number of women in engineering, where boys had long outnumbered girls.

The results have been impressive. More girls are joining engineering colleges, and studies show that girls admitted through this scheme perform just as well as boys. This has proved that talent is not limited by gender.

The number of women studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has also been growing. Today, women make up about 42% of STEM graduates in India. The number of women earning PhDs in STEM subjects has more than doubled in the last decade.

But there is a problem. What happens after graduation?

Many women start careers in STEM, but far fewer reach senior positions. Studies show that women make up almost 30% of entry-level STEM employees, but only about 12–14% of top leaders. Women also hold only a small share of faculty positions in universities and research institutes.

Why does this happen? Many women face challenges such as taking breaks for marriage, raising children, or caring for older family members. Some workplaces also make it difficult for them to continue their careers because of inflexible work hours, unfair promotion systems, or attitudes that see motherhood as a disadvantage.

As a result, many highly trained women scientists, engineers and researchers leave their fields, even though they have the talent to succeed.

So while it is great that thousands of girls are entering top engineering colleges today, we should also ask an important question: where are the women who should be their senior leaders, professors and mentors?

Getting more girls into STEM is only the first step. India also needs policies and workplaces that help women stay, grow and lead in these careers. Otherwise, the country risks losing a huge amount of talent.