Research facilities in 8 women universities have been enhanced with support from the CURIE (Consolidation of University Research for Innovation & Excellence in Women Universities) initiative of the Department of Science & Technology (DST). Artificial Intelligence facilities have been set up in 6 women universities with support from the CURIE-AI facility initiative.
CURIE Initiative
- In the year 2008-09, DST took a special initiative, ‘CURIE,’ to support women universities for improving R&D infrastructure and enhance research facilities.
- CURIE support resulted in a significant increase of student enrolment at undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. levels in CURIE supported universities.
- It has also enhanced the number of NET/ GATE qualified students. CURIE support has been extended to 8 women universities in the country.
- Extramural funding has also been increased due to the presence of sophisticated labs, which resulted in publications in high impact factor journals.
- In the year 2019, DST established an Artificial Intelligence lab in 6 CURIE beneficiary universities with the goal of fostering AI innovations and set up AI-friendly infrastructure to prepare skilled manpower for AI-based jobs in the future.
KIRAN Initiative
- In 2014, the DST took a giant step forward and brought all the women-centric schemes (including CURIE) and programs under one ambit-KIRAN.
- The ‘Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN)’ scheme provides various career opportunities for women scientists and technologists.
- It is primarily aimed to bring gender parity in the science & technology sector by inducting more women talent in the research & development domain through various programmes.
- A Mobility Scheme has been launched under KIRAN which will address the relocation issues of women scientists working in regular positions in government organizations. It offers a contractual research award to women scientists and enables them for independent research.
- It is aimed to provide an opportunity to women scientists who are facing difficulties in their present job due to relocation and will act as filler while searching for other career options at new places.
- 20 women technology parks have been established which act as windows for providing information, creating awareness, giving training for appropriate technologies leading to skill up gradation.
- More than 2100 women scientists have been brought back into mainstream science through the Women Scientists Scheme.
Source: DST website
