The
IITs, predominantly a male club that never had a woman director or
scientist in its council, is in for a big change.HRD ministry has
nominated two women scientists Tessy Thomas and Vijayalakshmi
Ravindranath to the IIT council, the apex body of 16 IITs. A senior HRD
official said, "The idea behind getting women scientists in the IIT
council is to show that science is not the sole preserve of men. Women
can be at par with men in carrying out research."
He
said these two can act as role models. Thomas is the first woman to
head India's missile programme. She is in charge of Agni-4 missile
project of Defence Research Development Organization. Ravindranath
helped establish National Brain Research Centre. Her research on
neurogenerative disorders can be used to develop disease-modifying
therapies.
IIT
council is headed by HRD minister and consists of three members of
Parliament, chairpersons and directors of all IITs, chairperson of UGC,
director general of CSIR, chairman and directors of IISc, nominee of HRD
ministry and three appointees each of the ministry and AICTE.
Source: The Times of India
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