By Tanmay Sharma
Photo Credit: The Suncity News
New Delhi, May 20, 2026: The classrooms and laboratories of Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) recently buzzed with enthusiasm as 120 girl students from classes 9 to 12 participated in the fifth batch of the ‘Manaswi’ High School STEM Mentorship Program.
Organized by IIT Delhi’s Office of Academic Outreach and new initiatives, the program aims to encourage young women to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
A notable feature of this year’s batch was that all participating students were from government schools across the Delhi-NCR region.
IIT Delhi’s initiative is encouraging women in STEM:
The program was inaugurated by Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi, who emphasized the importance of increasing women’s participation in STEM fields.
Addressing the students, he said women are capable of excelling in every field—from engineering and artificial intelligence to healthcare and space technology.
“We have designed this program to help you understand the real nature of science and engineering through interactions, lectures, and practical laboratory experiences, so that you can confidently decide your future path,” he said.
The program combined academic exposure with practical learning. Each day began with interactive sessions led by IIT Delhi faculty members and women leaders from STEM industries, followed by experiential learning activities conducted by the Makerspace team.
Students learned to work with electric circuits and even built solar lamps during practical workshops.
A special laboratory session at IIT Delhi’s Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology introduces participants to molecular biology experiments, including agarose gel electrophoresis, DNA extraction from bananas, and emulsion index testing using biosurfactants.
Industry leaders and role models: Interact with students:
Several women leaders and entrepreneurs interacted with the participants during the program, including Surbhi Yadav, Anu Meena, and Neha Devi.
Faculty members, including Shweta Singh, Maya Ramnath, Sushma Santapuri, and Preeti Srivastava, also conducted sessions aimed at fostering curiosity in STEM disciplines.
The program additionally featured sessions by the STEM the gap initiative led by Ravinder Kaur.
Students share inspiring experiences:
Participants described the program as transformative and confidence-building.
Mansi Pankhera, a class 11 student from KV Sector-12, Delhi, said the sessions helped her better understand civil and mechanical engineering and strengthened her confidence in pursuing STEM subjects.
Another participant, Meenakshi Pandey from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Gole Market, highlighted her excitement about conducting laboratory experiments and listening to motivational talks, especially the address by Squadron Leader Neha Devi.
The summer phase of the program concluded with a motivational address by Squadron Leader Neha Devi, who shared her journey of perseverance and determination.
The students will continue engaging with IIT Delhi through monthly STS-Spins lectures during the year, while the winter phase of the program is scheduled for January 2027.
The initiative has received partial sponsorship from the Bharti Airtel Foundation for the second consecutive year.
Also Read: IIT Delhi launches industry membership program to boost industry-academia collaboration.
EOM.
