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DBT salutes Indian
bioscience’s women
power!
Distinguished women
scientists, researchers,
entrepreneurs and other
professionals engaged in
S&T discussed ways to
ensure equal participation
of women by creating an
enabling environment, to
promote their leadership
in S&T and reach out
the benefits of S&T for
improving the quality of
life of women.
Vigyan Prasar in
collaboration with
Department of
Biotechnology (DBT)
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BioVoiceNews | June 2017
organized the two-day
National Seminar on
Women Leadership in
Science & Technology:
Opportunities &
Challenges; on the
occasion of International
Women’s Day 2017.
Union Minister for
Science & Technology
& Earth Sciences, Dr
Harsh Vardhan while
inaugurating the seminar
expressed confidence
about the capabilities of
women & appreciated
the committed and
compassionate nature
of women. He strongly
suggested increasing
representation of women
in science-related
programmes and said that
a larger scale programme
should be organized
next year with better
representation of women
in science.
Dr Manju Sharma, Former
DBT Secretary and one of
the iconic women leaders
in science stressed that
mentoring, conducive
environment, support
of academies, belief in
capabilities of women are
crucial to escalate women
leadership in science and
technology.
Mental and biological
barriers need to be
overcome to increase
women’s participation
in science, Professor
K VijayRaghavan,
Secretary Department
of Biotechnology
pointed out. He also
added that a change
of attitude is needed
to provide women
with a support system
to help them function
as professionals
efficiently.
DBT had launched
its BLiSS program
in 2015, under
which Biotechnology
Laboratories were
established in 88 Senior
Secondary Schools in
North Eastern Region
of India. The training
of NER BliSS teachers
was organized under
this program. DBT is
one of the mentors of
the BLiSS program.
Biotech Consortium India
Limited (BCIL) is also an
important partner of the
BLiSS initiative.
Conceived in the wake
of the declaration
of February 11 as the
International Day of
Women and Girls in
Science, the seminar
witnessed discussions
on opportunities
and challenges for
professionally qualified
women scientists to
contribute to the insights
on this area. It dedicated
its efforts to the spirit of
excellence demonstrated
by women in science and
technology.