National Conference Showcasing Cutting Edge Science and Technology by Women begins in New Delhi
KAPIL SIBAL ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVES FOR WOMEN SCIENTISTS
Union Minister for Science and Technology Shri
Kapil Sibal who presided
over the function pledged to continue with his endeavours
to provide a level playing field to women scientists and announced that all DST
Aided Institutions would -
·
provide flexible working hours for women scientists having children
up to the age of 3 years.
·
support
the construction of women’s residential blocks; and
·
allocate financial support to establish a state-of-art crèche
facility in all institutions.
·
And
for young women scientists in India who are associates of INSA, there
will be provision for a research grant of upto Rs.10 lakhs a year for a period of 5 years.
Shri Kapil Sibal said that recognizing the ground reality of women in
science, the Ministry has taken fledgling steps to empower women to have their
rightful role in science and technology
activities thereby contributing to accelerated national development. As a first
step, he said, the Task Force for Women in Science was set up to raise and
address issues and problems of women scientists and come up with solutions to
enable women scientists and technologists to realize and contribute value of
their creative talents to national
advantage. He said that nearly 2,000
women scientists have benefited by the Women Scientists Fellowship Scheme that
gives women scientists a spectrum of options to choose from depending upon
their aptitude, need, age and family situation.
Dr. Girija Vyas, Chairperson, National Commission for Women, in her keynote
address, said that Science and Technology has helped India to stand up to the challenges of the
modern world. While observing that the atrocities on women are on the rise, she
lauded the efforts of the Science and Technology Ministry in the area of Gender
Budgeting.
On the occasion which also marked the International Women’s
day, the Department of Science and
Technology conferred the National Award for Women’s Development through
Application of Science & Technology for the year 2007 to Dr. Rani Bang, SEARCH, Gadchiroli and
Dr. K. Vijaya Lakshmi,
Development Alternatives, New Delhi and National Women Bio-scientist Award 2007
to Dr. Mitali Mukherjee,
Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, Dr. Sangita
Mukhopadhyay of Centre of DNA Fingure
Printing and Diagnostics, Hyderabad and Dr. Sujata
Sharma, AIIMS.
Dr. T. Ramasami,
Secretary, Department of Science and Technology proposed the vote of thanks.
The
two-day conference has been organized by the Department of Science and
Technology at the initiative of the National Task Force for Women in Science. The
main purpose of the Conference is to provide an opportunity to women scientists
to present their work in select areas such as biology of infectious diseases,
advances in non–communicable diseases, aerospace and defence
technologies, climate change, nanotechnology and nano-materials
and plant biotechnology.
PRA/SKK
(Release ID :36125)