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6 July 2026

Gender gap in engineering education

The topic provides critical data and structural analysis regarding gender disparity in STEM, which is a recurring theme in UPSC Mains questions concerning inclusive growth, women's empowerment, and human resource development.

1 min read Day 1 of 2 2 questions 1 prelims

Notes

  • Women's enrolment in undergraduate engineering is approximately 28-30% according to AISHE 2021-22.
  • Female enrolment is concentrated in Computer Science and Electronics, while core disciplines like Mechanical, Civil, and Electrical Engineering often have single-digit female representation.
  • The 'leaky pipeline' phenomenon: women represent nearly one-third of engineering graduates but less than one-fifth of the R&D workforce in Science and Engineering.
  • Barriers to entry include unequal access to coaching for entrance exams, gendered household economic decision-making, and lack of encouragement in STEM subjects in rural/semi-urban areas.
  • Workplace challenges include inadequate safety infrastructure, lack of work-life flexibility, opaque career advancement, and a scarcity of female role models in faculty and industry leadership.
  • Current policy interventions (scholarships, reserved seats) focus primarily on access rather than systemic structural changes in education and the workplace.

Part of a longer story

This is day 1 of 2 in Gender parity in Indian higher education, which has been running since 6 July 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

Questions

  1. Despite the overall increase in women's enrolment in higher education, engineering remains a significant outlier. Discuss the socio-economic factors contributing to the 'leaky pipeline' of women in the engineering sector. 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. The under-representation of women in core engineering disciplines and the subsequent R&D workforce poses a challenge to India's goal of becoming a global technology hub. Critically evaluate the limitations of current policy interventions and suggest a multi-dimensional approach to ensure gender parity in STEM fields. 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-22, what is the approximate share of women in undergraduate engineering enrolment in India?

Syllabus

Topics

Sources

250words.in · https://250words.in/daily/2026-07-06/gender-gap-in-engineering-education