Women-led Development in STEM: Key to Viksit Bharat 2047

Indian Express - Opinion · 7 Mar 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · Social issues Mains · GS2 Social justice High relevance

India's shift from women's development to women-led development is evident in STEM fields, with 43% female enrolment in higher education and targeted policies like supernumerary seats in IITs/NITs, crucial for achieving the Viksit Bharat vision by 2047.

Key points

Gender Parity Index in education has reached 1.0 at foundational levels and 1.1 at secondary level, with girls' participation now equaling or exceeding boys, as per recent education data.

Higher Education Expansion shows female enrolment rising from 1.57 crore (2014-15) to 2.18 crore, with Female GER improving from 22.9 to 30.2, indicating systemic progress in access.

STEM Participation among women has reached 43% of total higher education enrolment, one of the highest globally, with 18.6% representation in national R&D workforce (Research and Development Statistics Report 2023).

Policy Interventions like supernumerary seats in IITs/NITs increased women's share from <10% to >20%, while PM Research Fellowship supports 35% women among 3,500 scholars.

Research Growth shows 135% increase in women's doctoral enrolment (47,000 to 1.12 lakh) and 53% of STEM fellows under UGC NET-JRF being women in 2024-25.

[GS3-Economy] The knowledge economy focus aligns with India's $5 trillion GDP target, where women's STEM participation directly impacts innovation capacity and global competitiveness.

Institutional Support includes 45.87% women researchers in government institutions, complemented by Budget 2026 provisions for district-level girls' hostels for STEM education.

Viksit Bharat 2047 vision explicitly links women's leadership in emerging technologies (AI, quantum computing) with national development goals, marking a paradigm shift in policy framing.

Way Forward: Strengthen industry-academia partnerships for women researchers, mandate gender-disaggregated R&D funding data, and expand STEM mentorship programs in rural schools through NEP 2020 implementation.

Key terms

Viksit Bharat

India's national development vision aiming to transform the country into a developed nation by 2047, emphasizing inclusive growth through sectors like STEM, infrastructure, and governance reforms. For UPSC, it represents the strategic framework for questions on sustainable development and human capital formation.

Gender Parity Index (GPI)

A statistical measure comparing female-to-male ratios in education access, where 1.0 indicates parity. In UPSC context, it's crucial for evaluating SDG 4 (Quality Education) progress and assessing effectiveness of schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.

Supernumerary Seats

Additional seats created beyond sanctioned strength to promote inclusion, used in IITs/NITs for women since 2018. Relevant for UPSC's social justice and governance questions, demonstrating affirmative action's role in bridging gender gaps in technical education.

Anusandhan National Research Foundation

Established in 2023 to bolster India's research ecosystem with ₹50,000 crore funding, focusing on interdisciplinary areas. For UPSC, it signifies India's science policy shift toward innovation-led growth, connecting GS3 (Science) with GS2 (Governance) dimensions.