Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remark at the IIT Delhi convocation—wishing for more daughters among the medalists—has reignited a conversation that goes far beyond the ceremony itself. Personally, I think this isn’t just about medals or convocation stages; it’s a symptom of a much deeper issue. What makes this particularly fascinating is how it exposes the persistent gender gap in India’s premier engineering institutions, despite years of policy interventions. From my perspective, the problem isn’t just about the numbers—it’s about the systemic and societal barriers that keep women from even reaching the starting line.
The Numbers Don’t Lie, But They Don’t Tell the Whole Story
Let’s start with the data. Women accounted for just 20.15% of IIT BTech admissions in 2025, a mere 0.25 percentage point increase from 2020. One thing that immediately stands out is how this stagnation contrasts with the fanfare around initiatives like the Supernumerary Seats Scheme (SSS), which initially boosted female representation from 8% in 2016 to nearly 20% by 2020. But here’s the kicker: adding more seats hasn’t moved the needle since. What this really suggests is that quotas alone can’t fix a problem rooted in culture, economics, and psychology.
The Invisible Barriers Before the Exam Hall
What many people don’t realize is that the IIT gender gap begins long before the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). It starts in classrooms where math and science are subtly coded as ‘boys’ subjects, in homes where daughters are discouraged from pursuing engineering, and in societies that view relocation for coaching as a risk for girls but an investment for boys. If you take a step back and think about it, the journey to an IIT seat is a marathon, and girls are often starting the race with weights tied to their feet.
Money plays a role too. Coaching for the JEE isn’t cheap, and when resources are limited, families often prioritize sons. This raises a deeper question: how many talented girls are being left behind because their families can’t—or won’t—invest in their engineering dreams? The answer is likely far more than the admission statistics reveal.
The Campus Isn’t Always Welcoming
Even when women do make it to IITs, the story doesn’t end there. A detail that I find especially interesting is that some top-ranking female candidates choose other institutions, often closer to home or with more flexible environments. This isn’t just about preference; it’s about perception. Concerns about campus culture, branch allocation, and the male-dominated atmosphere of engineering disciplines can make IITs feel like unwelcoming spaces for women.
This raises another uncomfortable truth: an admission system can open the door, but the institution has to make students want to stay. Are IITs doing enough to ensure women feel like equal stakeholders, not just token additions to the student body?
The Confidence Gap Starts Early
In my opinion, the most insidious barrier is the confidence gap that begins in childhood. Girls are often subtly discouraged from STEM subjects through everyday interactions—being told they’re not naturally good at math, or having their mistakes treated as proof of unsuitability. By the time they reach Class 10, many have internalized the idea that engineering isn’t for them.
This psychological coding is harder to address than quotas or seat expansions. How do you convince a girl who’s been told her whole life that engineering is difficult, unsafe, or ‘not for her’ that she belongs in an IIT? This is where the real work needs to begin—long before the JEE preparation years.
Beyond Quotas: The Need for Cultural Reform
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from analyzing this issue, it’s that the next phase of gender reform in engineering can’t just be about numbers. It has to be about culture. Schools need to actively encourage girls in STEM, parents need to see engineering as a viable path for their daughters, and mentorship programs should start early—not after admission.
IITs, too, need to look inward. Campus culture, academic flexibility, and the everyday experiences of women students matter just as much as admission policies. The goal shouldn’t be to hit a statistical target; it should be to create an environment where a girl from any part of India looks at an IIT and thinks, ‘That place is for me.’
The Bigger Picture: India’s Untapped Potential
Here’s the thing: India can’t afford to leave half its talent on the sidelines. The gender gap in IITs isn’t just an education issue—it’s an economic, social, and national capacity issue. If we want to be a global technology powerhouse, we need to ensure that women are not just present but thriving in these institutions.
PM Modi’s wish for more daughters among medalists should be more than a soundbite. It should be a call to action—not just for policymakers, but for parents, educators, and society at large. Because the real question isn’t why there aren’t enough women holding medals. It’s how many girls with the ability to win those medals never got the chance to try.
And that, in my opinion, is the most uncomfortable—and important—question of all.
