At the Science Summit 2025 (SSUNGA80) convened during the 80th UN General Assembly, CSIR-NIScPR spotlighted India’s efforts to embed gender equity in the science ecosystem. The theme “Women and Girls in Science: Driving Gender-Inclusive Innovation, Gender Equality, and Breaking Barriers” framed discussions around structural biases and policy solutions. The event emphasized that globally ~35% of STEM professionals are women, while within CSIR only 16.1% of staff are female, underscoring gaps in representation. The dialogue focused on institutional tools like Gender Equality Plans, capacity building (e.g. GATI, Vigyan Jyoti), bias-aware AI systems, and stress management supports to cultivate a more enabling work culture in research organizations.
In India’s push to become a knowledge and innovation powerhouse, leveraging full human potential is critical. The summit reinforces that gender balance is not a side goal but a core enabler for legitimacy, quality, and social inclusiveness in research and technology systems.
The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research – National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research, is India’s nodal institute for science communication and evidence-based STI policy research, headquartered in New Delhi.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can funding agencies, institutional governance norms, and regulatory frameworks ensure that gender equity is baked into recruitment, evaluation, resource allocation, and AI/tech design in India’s science & innovation ecosystem?
Follow the full news here: PIB Release – Empowering Women in Science: CSIR-NIScPR at SSUNGA80
