Gender-based reservation in engineering education in India is an often-discussed topic. However, the debates within myself about these policies nudged me to deep dive, explore, and share my findings and personal opinions.
At the outset, let me provide some background and basics on these policies.
Backdrop & Policies
It’s a well-known fact that there is a significant gender disparity in technical and engineering roles in India. To address the issue, it’s important to ensure more women graduate from engineering programs and stay motivated to pursue careers in engineering.
Here are some reservation policies presently in place at various Indian engineering institutes:
- In 2018, the Ministry of Education introduced a supernumerary quota — additional seats beyond the existing seat pool — for female students at the premier engineering institutes, like the 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and 31 National Institutes of Technology (NITs). The quota started at 14% in 2018 and has since increased to 20%.
- Most private and other state-sponsored engineering institutes generally have policies of reserving 5% to 20% of seats for female students.
- Some state governments have introduced a 33% reservation for female students in state engineering colleges.
- The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) offers 10,000 scholarships (PRAGATI) to girls entering technical education.
Effectiveness Analysis
Engineering Education
Per the Ministry of Education, the percentage of girls admitted in the IITs has grown from 8% in 2016 to 20% in recent years. In the NITs, enrollment of girls is around 19%.
According to the latest report of All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE), in the academic year 2021-22, female students account for around 29% of the undergraduate engineering student population, which was 28% in 2018-19 and 28.5% in 2019-20.
The above data shows that although IITs and NITs recorded marked improvement in the enrollment of female students after the policies were introduced, the overall increase was only in decimal percentages across the country during that period, which is a bit surprising.
Industrial Workforce
Per TeamLease Digital’s report, “Gender Parity-Shaping Workforce Equity,” female participation in India’s technical contractual workforce has increased from 9.51% in 2020 to 27.98% in 2024.
The report also mentions that the female workforce in technical roles in the automotive, energy, health care, and manufacturing sectors grew from 1.9% in 2020 to 14% in 2024.
An article in Economic Times mentions that “data from staffing firm Quess Corp reveals that the presence of women technologists in Global Capability Centres (GCCs) has experienced a slight uptick, reaching 30% in FY24 compared to 26.6% in FY20.”
Core sector companies in steel, cement, energy, automobile, and infrastructure, like Larsen & Toubro, Tata Steel, Tata Projects, JSW group, Vedanta, Schneider Electric, and Maruti Suzuki, are actively recruiting women engineers from the campuses.
Per a June 2024 article published in Business World, “women constitute about 36% of Indian tech and engineering workforce in entry-level roles,” and the growth rate, though in the single digits (8-9%), has been steady since 2020.
The above demonstrates that an improvement in the gender ratio in the industrial arena, at least at the entry level, is quite encouraging, which is surely an outcome of the aforementioned policies.
Criticisms and My Opinion
The most frequently voiced criticism is that lowering cut-off scores for women in reserved or supernumerary seats undermines academic merit.
However, it has been found that most girls, once admitted, fare quite well through the curriculum and compete reasonably well (if not better than) with the boys. An ambitious female student has a natural resolve to prove her capabilities that drives her to study hard, leading to better academic performance.
Next, how fair are these policies? It has been noted that the girls admitted in supernumerary seats are mostly from economically well-off families who have had the privilege of receiving a good education. Therefore, critics say, “Why should already-privileged students be given leniency in cut-off marks?”
Though I do find some logic in this argument, my observations in favor of the reservation policies are:
- It’s a question of gender equity, which addresses various inherent age-old biases and hurdles that women face while choosing a career in technical fields, regardless of economic status or upbringing.
- The gender imbalance in India’s engineering and manufacturing industries, especially in the heavy and manufacturing sectors, is so stark that urgent action is needed to build a critical mass of employable women engineers who can grow into senior roles. The target is to have a balanced and gender-diverse technical workforce and leadership, which undoubtedly has a positive impact on any organization’s performance and ultimately contributes to the nation’s GDP.
- Other forms of reservation, based on social and economic status, continue to exist in parallel and are accessible to students from underrepresented backgrounds, regardless of gender.
- The supernumerary quota enhances the opportunity for girls without taking seats away from others.
Another criticism is that reservation policies stoke the stereotyped perception that girls are less adept in science and technical fields. However, biases and stereotyped perceptions can largely be countered with more girls in the campuses competing with the boys and proving their mettle. A good number of successful women engineers will help to address the biases to a large extent.
Suggestions for Improvement
- There should be proper periodic review of the actual results of these policies, both on the campuses and in industry. Reports should be analyzed by dedicated committees, and course corrections, if needed, should be decided upon and implemented.
- Regular gender sensitization programs with open discussion forums should be organized to improve awareness about the necessity of gender equity and build up a strong culture of allyship on the campuses.
- The data shows that, despite the reservation policies, there has been a nominal increase in the number of girl students enrolling in engineering institutes (aside from the IITs and NITs). I think this gives credence to the criticism that the opportunities of supernumerary quota are being grabbed mostly by girls from privileged backgrounds. It is of utmost importance to support the large majority of less privileged girls from secondary schools with scholarships, mentorship, and awareness programs to generate interest in STEM subjects.
In my opinion, these policies, with judicious checks and balances in place, should continue until a significant improvement in the gender ratio is achieved on campuses, and eventually in the industry.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog belong solely to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), its affiliates, or any other organization with which the author may be associated. The content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute endorsement or official guidance by SWE.
Very insightful article. I completely agree with your stance on the importance of reservation policies for women. History has consistently shown that where there is prolonged deprivation, it inevitably leads to a movement for change. Empowerment begins with equal opportunity—and policies like these are a step in the right direction.