HRD minister Smriti Irani.
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.
Tessy Thomas. (TOI file photo)
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.
Vijayalakshmi Ravindranath. (TOI file photo by K Sunil Prasad)
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