DST Collaborates With IBM To Build STEM

DST collaborates with IBM to build STEM career opportunities for girl students

Context

Existing opportunities for meritorious girls to nurture their interest in Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) will be expanded and a learning platform scaled to make learning relevant and foster scientific spirit among the country’s youth in partnership with IBM.
The Department of Science & Technology (DST) and IBM India announced collaborations to scale up two DST initiatives–Vigyan Jyoti and Engage with Science (Vigyan Prasar)

Significance of DST collaborates with IBM to build STEM

The partnership with IBM India will strengthen the current activities and will be expanded to include more schools in the future.
Women tech experts working at IBM India will interact inspire girl students to plan for a career in STEM under the programme.
Source: Learning Paths School
This will strengthen the DST”s initiative to increase the number of women in technology fields.
The IBM will work with Vigyan Prasar, a body under the DST, to help popularise science through several strategic initiatives, including ”Engage With Science”.
This is an interactive platform that will be built on top of the India Science Over-The-Top platform to encourage and inspire high school students to pursue science & technology for a career.
As part DST collaborates with IBM to build STEM, IBM will run the day-to-day activities of the programme, including student workshops, seminars, and leverage its expertise to mentor the students.
The platform will make students interact, participate and get involved with the sampling and active consumption of S&T content, including Cloud, Big Data, etc. through the usage of gamification tools and Artificial Intelligence /Machine Learning components.
It is the need of the hour to promote gender diversity in STEM education and to create new avenues for cultivating diverse talent. The collaboration with DST will expand our STEM program to girl students pursuing 10+2 courses.

Engage With Science

The Engage with Science platform will make students interact, participate and get involved with the sampling and active consumption of S&T content, including Cloud, Big Data through the usage of digital tools.
‘Engage With Science’ will actively engage with schools, shoot interactive programmes in the school premises, provide windows of recognition, and glorification to select teachers of S&T subjects. The programmes, when aired on India Science channel, shall, in turn, create a fan following and community creation around teachers and schools.
The DST has been working on increasing the percentage of women in the STEM related areas — academic as well as research institutions. The new Science Technology Innovation Policy (STIP) – 2020 too will emphasis on this aspect.
DST and IBM India aim to create a robust STEM ecosystem that nurtures critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and next-generation innovators through Inspire Awards-MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge) – a programme targeting to build one million ideas rooted in science from school students

Back to Basics

About Vigyan Jyoti programme

The Vigyan Jyoti programme was launched by the DST in 2019 to inspire girl students to pursue higher education and career in STEM fields. It provides a scholarship, visit to nearby scientific institutions, science camps, lecturers from women scientists and career counselling.
It is implemented by Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in 58 districts, with the participation of about 2,900 students.

Facts-Value Edition for mains

According to the National Science Foundation, it is predicted that 80% of the jobs created in the next decade will require some form of math and science skills.
Of the 2.8 lakh engineers and scientists employed in research and engineering institutions across the country; only 14 per cent are women, which is 39,000.
81 per cent women in STEM say there is gender bias in performance evaluation.

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