IIT‑Delhi ‘Manasvi’ Mentors 100 Schoolgirls in STEM
A week‑long campus immersion lets Delhi government‑school girls prototype circuits and meet women PhDs in engineering.
Opening the Lab Doors
IIT Delhi opened its labs to 100 ninth‑ through twelfth‑graders for the Manasvi STEM Mentorship Programme, aiming to demystify elite engineering pathways. Over five days, participants built LED arrays, coded micro‑controllers and toured cutting‑edge research centres.
Tackling ‘Lab Intimidation’
Faculty organisers say the initiative tackles “lab intimidation”—the fear that high‑tech spaces are off‑limits to students from under‑resourced schools. By pairing each girl with a woman graduate‑research mentor, the programme roots aspiration in lived example rather than abstract encouragement.
Early Results & Expansion Plans
Post‑event surveys show a 40 % jump in participants who now list engineering as a preferred career, signalling that early, hands‑on exposure can shift ambitions. IIT Delhi plans to expand Manasvi to 300 students next year with corporate CSR funding.
