Centre to mentor 1 lakh girls for engineering courses

The Centre is set to roll out a scheme to mentor at least one lakh girls, studying between Classes VIII and XII, to become scientists and engineers.

The scheme, with an estimated outlay of Rs 2,000 crore, will be launched by the Department of Science and Technology later this year.

The scheme will offer fellowships to the best performing girl students of Classes XI and XII, to support them in the preparations for entrance tests for engineering courses.

The funds will also be utilised in organising motivational programmes for girl students studying in Classes VIII to X at secondary schools to encourage them choose a career in science and technology.

“If a student who is covered under the scheme clears the entrance examination and gets admission to an undergraduate programme, she will be provided with another fellowship to complete the studies.

Fellowships up to PhD
Fellowships will be provided to the students up to the level of PhD.

“The amount provided will be equal to that provided under various other schemes,” Department of Science and Technology secretary Ashutosh Sharma told DH.

After the completion of their respective courses, these students will get an opportunity to take up teaching at technical institutes. “The government will pay their salaries,” Sharma added. The Joint Admission Board (JAB) of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) on Saturday approved a proposal to introduce supernumerary quota for admission of women at the premier technical institutes from 2018.

At least 14% additional seats will be created in 2018, 17% in 2019, and 20% in 2020. The students will be admitted to the IITs and NITs on the basis of their performance in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), conducted in two parts—JEE-Main and JEE-Advance.

“Additional seats to be created for women will be over and above the actual strength,” a human resource development ministry official said.