IIT Bombay To Make Itself Women-Friendly

IIT Bombay is gearing up to make itself women-friendly. The IIT wants to increase the number of women on its campus. To do so, it is planning to institute a number of measures, including exploring flexi-hours and work-from-home options for researchers with young children.

It also plans to promote success stories of its students and alumni to young girls. The plans are part of its new strategic plan.

Seventeen years after IIT made its last strategic plan, it has made a new plan based on feedback from its key stakeholders taken over two years

The new goals 

It has set ten new goals. The institute wants improve internal support systems, enhance student experience, broaden funding base, attract international students and faculty, advance frontiers of knowledge, enhance diversity, enhance alumni engagement, and develop a cleaner and greener campus.

Focus on funding

The university also wants to increase its funding and will look for different funding sources.

"We have tried to emphasise on diversifying our funding sources. We are suggesting licensing our existing technology, having more interface with industry, city and state. A cell will be set up that can identify areas where the institute can contribute to the improvement of the city,” said Rajan Banerjee, convener of the strategic plan committee.

It will also offer a new masters course in filmmaking. IIT is also considering offering new undergraduate programmes like Mathematics, Earth Science, Biology and Management.

IITs increasing number of admissions to let in more girls

Last year, the HRD ministry announced that all IITs must now increase the number of admissions so that they have at least 14 per cent girls in every new batch starting from 2018. The IITs will also have to accommodate the increasing number of women students by increasing the number of hostel berths.

Also Read: IITs To Up Seats, To Have 14% Female Students In New Admissions