MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES AND MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(DR. HARSH VARDHAN)
(a) The Department of Science & Technology has been implementing a scheme “Science & Technology for Women” with a view to empower women through inputs of Science and Technology. The broad objectives of this scheme are:
(1) To promote research, development and adaptation of technology to improve the quality of life,
workings conditions for women.
(2) To provide newer opportunities for gainful employment of women especially in rural areas and
empower them through inputs of S & T.
(3) To reduce drudgery of women through application of Science and Technology.
(4) To look into women health and nutrition through the application of S&T
(b) The Scheme is focused on empowering women in livelihood generation through suitable technologies and available natural resources in their native areas which has led to income generation and creation of livelihood opportunities for them. The scheme is implemented through grant-in-aid projects to S&T based Government and Non-Government Organizations. Besides individual projects, the scheme also focuses on establishing Women Technology Parks (WTP) that are envisaged to act as a resource centre to train women in rural technologies based on the natural resources for their livelihood and income generation. More than 10,000 women have been trained over last three years through 36 Women Technology Parks and other livelihood related projects located in different parts of the country.
(c) Total 98 individual projects including eight (8) in Maharashtra and ten (10) in Tamil Nadu have been supported under Science & Technology for Women Scheme in last three years. Further, 36 Women Technology Parks (WTPs) have also been established throughout the country including three (3) in Maharashtra and six (6) in Tamil Nadu.
(d) & (e): Yes, Madam. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has started new scheme ‘Knowledge Involvement Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN)’ in 2014-15 to ensure participation of women in the field of Science and Technology (S&T) through gender enabling programs. One of the program, ‘Women Scientist Scheme’ provides career opportunities to unemployed women scientists and technologists, especially those who had a break in career. There are three major components of Women Scientist Scheme namely, i) Women Scientists Scheme-A (WOS-A) for conducting research in Basic & Applied Sciences, ii) Women Scientists Scheme-B (WOS-B) for research projects that entail S&T interventions for Societal Benefit and iii) Women Scientists Scheme-C (WOS-C) that enables them to become Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) professional. In 2016-17, ‘Mobility’ component has been introduced under KIRAN to address relocation issue of working Women Scientists. In 2017-18, DST launched new program ‘Indo-US Fellowship for Women in STEMM’ (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine) to provide opportunities to Indian Women Scientists, Engineers & Technologists to undertake International collaborative research in premier institutions in USA for duration of 3-6 months. Further, Women Scientists & Technologists are also encouraged to avail capacity building programs related with research & development, entrepreneurship, managerial skills and leadership under ‘National Program for Training of Women Scientists & Technologists working in Government Sector’ of DST. Under KIRAN, institutional support is also provided through Consolidation of University Research through Innovation and Excellence in Women Universities (CURIE) Programme in order to enhance women’s participation in Research & Development activities in S&T Domain. Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is also implementing ‘Biotechnology Career Advancement and Re-orientation Programme (BioCARe)’ to enhance the participation of Women Scientists in Biotechnology research.
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