HRD Ministry Plans to Increase Girl Student Percentage in IITs

The Ministry of Human Resource and Development under the leadership of Prakash Javadekar has rolled out a new plan to increase the percentage of girl students in Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) that is currently just 8 percent. It plans to increase it to 20 percent by the year 2021.

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According to sources, HRD Ministry will identify some deserving female candidates from Class 8 itself and coach them for IIT entrance examination right from the beginning. The ministry will take steps to create awareness on IITs among parents and students at the school level. HRD Ministry also suggested IITs to invite students to their campus and make them familiar with the atmosphere of IITs. In order to achieve the same, IITs shall equally play a significant role in attracting female students on a large scale to take up specialised courses at these institutes and make for themselves an illustrious career path. IITs can also take a keen interest in imparting necessary coaching to the female students.

Subsequently, IITs must also work towards creating awareness and influencing female students belonging to the rural areas who are unaware about the JEE examination. If everything goes according to plan, IITs will enroll a decent number of female students in the coming years.

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HRD Ministry also suggested IITs to create proper awareness among the students on IIT-PAL (Professor Assisted Learning) that aims at improving the performance of girl students in schools as well as enable them to prepare for IIT entrance examination effectively. It consists of recorded lectures on Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.