Taming the STEM fields – Female students at IITGN shining bright as medal winners

Apart from the ubiquitous gaiety all around the campus, the 12th Convocation of the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) had something more to celebrate about. Out of a total number of 58 medals awarded to students this year, 23 (i.e. about 40%) were won by female students from various disciplines. Notably, two of the three President’s Gold Medals, eight of the 17 Institute Gold Medals, and three of the four Director’s Gold Medals were bagged by female students of the Institute for outstanding performance in academics, research, and other proficiencies.

Interestingly, and more encouragingly so, this trend of female students outshining male students in various disciplines of STEM is gaining pace at IITGN year after year. During the year 2022, out of a total number of 50 medals awarded to students, 15 (i.e. 30%) were won by female students, and in the year 2021, out of a total number of 63 medals awarded to students, 20 (i.e. about 32%) were won by female students. 

Moreover, in the year 2022, five of the total 12 Institute Gold Medals were earned by female students. And in the year 2021, three out of the four President’s Gold Medals, ten out of the 22 Institute Gold Medals, and two out of the four Director’s Gold Medals were won by female students of the Institute.

And for some of these shining stars of ‘Women in STEM’ (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), this doesn’t end at winning only one medal; they also go on confidently to win more than one medal for excellence in various categories.

Slowly but surely, female students are venturing into and excelling in the frontier areas of science and technology, which are generally regarded as bastions of their male counterparts, at the intersection of radical scientific breakthroughs and real-world implementation. Our history is rich with several examples of women who overcame challenges and made enormous contributions to science. We are hopeful that the brilliant and confident women who pass out from IITGN will also go on to make unprecedented advancements and history as remarkable Women in STEM.