New Delhi: IIT Delhi organized an Open House on June 24, 2023, for female candidates and persons with disabilities who have qualified for JEE (Advanced) 2023. The event was organized in a hybrid mode by the Initiative for Gender Equity & Sensitization (IGES) and the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) at IIT Delhi, as a proactive step in fostering diversity and inclusion.

Candidates from different parts of the country attended this open house, offline and online. Attendees had the chance to interact with the Deans, IIT Delhi faculty members, and student volunteers of IIT Delhi.

The Open House provided crucial details to the candidates regarding the academic courses, co-curricular and extra- curricular activities, which IIT Delhi offers to the students. The entire event was conducted in the following phases: first phase was an introduction by the Institute Director Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Deans and IGES & OAE representatives wherein questions pertaining to campus life, choice of department, hostel accommodation, and career prospects were discussed.

Addressing the attendees at the Open House, Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi, said, "We at IIT Delhi are keen to have more women students. We currently have about 23% of women students in our intake batch, and we are also making efforts to make our student community diverse, and we are looking at inclusion and accessibility. We have created an Office of Diversity and Inclusion to ensure that the experience on campus is good for everyone, and we would like to see that we can have a vibrant and diverse community, a better gender balance. We have the Initiative for Gender Equity (IGES) and are looking at ways in which we can have more women students, and involvement of women students, women faculty in all aspects.

Whichever discipline you choose, you can specialize in that discipline. At our institute, you will also have the opportunity to follow minors to have specializations in cutting-edge technology in areas that may not be in your core discipline. You will use these 4 or 5 years, depending on the programme you choose, to actually find your passion, to also see what lse you would like to do. At IIT Delhi, we have a whole host of clubs, sports and cultural facilities that will enable your overall growth.

Today, the old mindsets have changed, and if you look at every discipline, women are actually at the forefront of many different initiatives. They are leading technologies, leading companies, and making their own startups. We have several such examples in our midst. The future belongs to you. We hope that you will entrust some portion of your future to us and come and spend time with us and join IIT Delhi".

This was followed by the second phase where the attendees got a chance to interact with dedicated faculty members from different academic units about specific disciplines, programs, and career prospects ahead.

Attendees who visited the campus also got an opportunity to see the common spaces such as library, eateries, sports facilities, hostel facilities.

Overall, the Open House was a proactive step aimed at facilitating candidates in making informed decisions about their future and showcasing the institute’s capability and commitment towards diversity, inclusivity, and supportive learning environment.

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