(Photo: Valedictory session of the 2^nd Transformative Leadership in STEMM Workshop)

New Delhi: IIT Delhi has initiated an annual national-level mentoring workshop, “Transformative Leadership in STEMM (TLS) Workshop,” for advanced-stage Ph.D. scholars from the SC/ST community with an aim to encourage and empower them to apply for faculty positions at prestigious institutions like IITs, NITs, and other higher educational institutions (HEIs). The goal of this unique step by IIT Delhi is to address the underrepresentation of the SC/ST community in the scientific domain, particularly in the faculty positions.

The second “Transformative Leadership in STEMM (TLS) Workshop” was held at IIT Delhi from January 28 to 30, 2025. This year the three-day workshop focused on the fields of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Mathematics, and Biological Sciences and also included select participants from the previous batch of the workshop. The TLS workshop is jointly organized by the Initiative for Caste Equity (ICE), the Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI), and the SC/ST Cell at IIT Delhi.

The convener and co-convener for the workshop, Prof. Yashpal Jogdand from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and Faculty Advisor, Initiative for Caste Equity (ICE), Office of Diversity and Inclusion, IIT Delhi, and Prof. Pravin P. Ingole, from the Department of Chemistry and Chairperson, SC/ST Cell, IIT Delhi, highlighted that there was an overwhelming response for the TLS workshop from PhD scholars.

With a large number of high-quality applications for the TLS workshop, the competition for limited seats was particularly stiff this year. A scientific advisory committee chaired by Prof. Narayanan Kurur (Dean Academics, IIT Delhi) and consisting of HoDs and expert faculty selected a cohort of 50 students from various institutions across the country, including ten select candidates from last year’s batch for continuous mentoring.

The workshop activities and sessions focused on various aspects that distinguish faculty at premier institutions, such as high-quality research and teaching, scientific and professional skills, and interface with industry and society through incubation and commercialization initiatives. Participants presented their ongoing research and gave teaching demonstrations along with receiving feedback and mentoring from expert faculty. Participants also engaged in an incubation-based group activity led by I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC) over three days.

Various skill-building sessions were conducted in the workshop to delve into specific aspects of the faculty application process. A key focus of the workshop was on the confidence building of the participants. Prof. Sonajharia Minz and Prof. D. K. Lobiyal, Computer Science Department, JNU, delivered a session on strategies for protecting one’s self-respect and enhancing one’s confidence in a challenging environment. In another session, Prof. Divya Dwivedi, IIT Delhi, highlighted nuanced aspects of social and cultural capital required to successfully engage in the academic interaction and to overcome English language barriers.

An important highlight was the banquet dinner for the TLS participants, chaired by Honorable Shri Ramdas Athawale, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, and attended by other dignitaries from IIT Delhi and other institutions.

The sessions delivered by Prof. Dipak Pinjari, ICT, Mumbai, focused on preparing research proposals and teaching statements, whereas Prof. Shyama Rath, DU, shared useful insights from her editorial experience of scientific journals. Prof. Rahul Rondiya, IISc Bangalore, delivered an engaging session on scientific writing and publication strategies to build a strong faculty profile.

In a freewheeling conversation, Prof. Krishna AchutaRao (Dean Faculty, IIT Delhi) guided participants through the faculty application process at IITs and addressed their queries. Guided by Prof. S.K. Saha (Project Director, IHFC, technology innovation hub of IIT Delhi), the IHFC team undertook a group activity to foster the commercialization of new technologies and build an interface with the industry.

“We have high hopes from you. We have undertaken this initiative to build future leadership that will bring a positive change in society,” said Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director IIT Delhi, in his valedictory remarks.

Prof. Angelie Multani, Dean, Diversity and Inclusion, IIT Delhi, congratulated the Initiative for Caste Equity (ICE) and the SC/ST Cell for the remarkable success of the TLS workshop and highlighted its potential to send a positive message to prospective faculty from marginalised sections of society.

Prof. Jogdand and Prof. Ingole, the conveners of the TLS workshop, said that the TLS workshop is a step to address the faculty diversity deficit in premier educational institutions. They hoped that other IITs would soon follow the suit of IIT Delhi and undertake mentoring initiatives for faculty hiring from the SC/ST community.

In the vote of thanks, Prof. Jogdand expressed gratitude for the generous funding provided by the Institute and the I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC). He thanked the Institute leadership, the scientific advisory committee, faculty colleagues, as well as the staff and student volunteers of the Initiative for Caste Equity, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the SC/ST Cell.

(Photo: The second TLS workshop was organised by the Initiative for Caste Equity, Office of Diversity & Inclusion and the SC/ST Cell, IIT Delhi)  

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