IIT Delhi holds 5-day STEM mentorship programme for school girls

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) has organised a five-day Manasvi: STEM Mentorship Programme for 100 school girls from classes 9 to 12. The event was aimed to inspire young girls to explore careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

The 4th batch of the mentorship programme, which is a flagship initiative by the academic outreach and new initiatives officer at IIT Delhi, took place from May 13 to 17, 2025. The objective of the event was to improve the imbalanced gender ratio in STEM, and guide the girls with the correct direction to pursue careers in STEM, as per the official statement by IIT Delhi.

Addressing the girls during the programme, Rangan Banerjee, director at IIT Delhi, said: “We aim to introduce you to STEM careers and guide you on how pursuing STEM can empower you to apply your ideas for the betterment of society.”

“Manasvi aims to go beyond just academic engagement, by offering to these young girls a voice, a platform, and most importantly, a belief that they belong in STEM,” the institute said.

Student volunteers from IIT Delhi conducted informal bonding and technical sessions each day, which helped the girls to open up, share their aspirations and vulnerabilities, and step out of their comfort zones, the institute added.

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4th Edition of Manasvi: STEM Mentorship Programme

Nozomu Hagiwara, social activist and founder of the Nozomu Foundation, including other diverse speakers across different fields conducted formal sessions, featuring a series of inspiring talks and panel discussions.

Hagiwara also shared his experience on resilience, mental strength, and the boundless potential within each individual. S Arulselvi, professor, laboratory medicine, JPNATC, Urvashi Yadav, senior resident in laboratory medicine, AIIMS New Delhi, and Lily Khosa, chief medical officer at IITD Hospital also took part in the panel discussion.

“The afternoons were dedicated to experiential learning at the MakerSpace Lab, under the guidance of Prof. Jay Dhariwal, faculty in the Department of Design, IIT Delhi and the MakerSpace team. Each participant learned to assemble a solar lamp kit – an empowering experience that allowed the girls to create a tangible, functional object with their own hands. They were excited to receive the finished lamps as a cherished memento of their time at IIT Delhi,” the institute also said.

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Next phase will be held in October, December

Ritu Karidhal, ISRO scientist and popularly known as the “Rocket Woman of India,” also gave a talk on “Challenges and Accomplishments of ISRO's Interplanetary Missions: The Chandrayaan to Mangalyaan and Future Possibilities for Young Space Enthusiasts.”

“The mentors treated us like equals. Their stories showed me that it’s okay to struggle, and it’s okay to dream big. I now feel much more confident about choosing a career in STEM, ”Nabila from G Co- Ed SS School, Sector- 5, RK Puram, Delhi said.

“Manasvi changed my mindset. I always saw STEM as something far out of reach, but now I feel more equipped and excited to take it up,” Himanshi, DBRA, School of Specialised Education, SEC-5, New Delhi said.

The second and third phases of the program are scheduled for October and December 2025 and schools can get more information from the official website at academicoutreach.iitd.ac.in.