Women in IITs Rise Sharply Since 2018, Yet Inequality Persists

The number of female students in India’s leading IITs has doubled over the past seven years, increasing from 1,621 in 2018 to 3,247 in 2025. This steady rise highlights growing participation of women in STEM fields and reflects a gradual shift towards greater gender inclusion in the country’s premier engineering institutions.

Despite the rise in female enrolment, the overall gender gap has widened as male admissions have increased at a faster pace. The difference between male and female students grew from 7,007 in 2018 to 9,153 in 2025. As a result, women still account for only around one-fifth of total admissions across the IITs.

IIT Madras has emerged as a leader in female admissions, with numbers rising significantly from 519 in 2018 to 1,173 in 2025. IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi have also recorded notable growth in women’s enrolment during this period. However, IIT Kanpur and IIT Kharagpur continue to lag behind in comparison. Admissions to these premier institutes are conducted through the highly competitive Joint Entrance Examination (JEE).

UNESCO has noted that this is not just an Indian concern but a global challenge. According to the organisation, fewer than one-third of researchers worldwide are women. It has called for stronger efforts to encourage female participation, particularly in emerging and critical fields such as quantum science and water management, where greater gender diversity remains essential.