New Delhi: The summer phase of the fifth batch of Mansavi: STEM Mentorship Program for High School Girls at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi concluded with the participation of 120 girls studying in classes 9 to 12 from government schools in Delhi-NCR. The initiative is organized by the institute’s Office of Academic Outreach and New Initiatives to encourage girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.The program brought students to the laboratories and lecture halls of IIT Delhi for educational sessions, leadership interactions and hands-on learning activities. According to the institute, the fifth batch was different from the earlier batches as all the participants were from government schools in the region. The program will continue throughout the year with monthly STS-Spins lectures, while the winter phase for the same cohort is scheduled for January 2027.The director focused on STEM participation.The inaugural session began with an address by Professor Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi, who spoke about improving the representation of women in STEM careers and the Institute’s initiatives in this area. He told the participants that women can contribute in all fields including engineering, artificial intelligence, healthcare, construction and space technology.
IIT Delhi hosts STEM mentorship session for 120 girls from schools in Delhi-NCR
Prof. Banerjee also explained the structure of the mentorship program, which included interactions with alumni, lectures on various domains and hands-on laboratory activities designed to help students understand engineering and science subjects.Hands-on sessions were an important part of the program.Each day begins with informal discussions followed by academic or leadership sessions by IIT Delhi faculty members and women leaders working in STEM fields. Afternoon makerspace sessions introduced students to the construction of electric circuits and solar lamps under the guidance of Prof. Jay Dhariwal and his team.Educational sessions were conducted by Prof. Swetha Venkatachari, Prof. Maya Ramanath and Prof. Sushma Santhapuri. Professor Preeti Srivastava and her students organized laboratory sessions in the Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, where students conducted experiments in molecular biology.Students attend leadership and mentoring sessions.The program included keynote sessions by Surbhi Yadav, founder and CEO of Saje Sapne and Anu Meena, founder and CEO of Kund Fertility. Additional sessions were led by Asha Dogi and the STEMtheGap team, including Abhilasha Sinha and Sri Harini Kappa, under the guidance of Professor Ravinder Kaur.The summer phase concluded with a session by Squadron Leader Neha Devi, who shared her experiences with the students. The program is partially sponsored by Bharti Airtel Foundation for the second consecutive edition.
