When 26 girls from the remote tribal hills of Gumla district, Jharkhand, boarded a flight to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) at Sriharikota, they were doing more than just taking an educational trip.
These girls, first-generation learners from economically challenged backgrounds, were breaking cultural and social barriers, heading toward a world few had imagined. The initiative to send these “rocket girls” to one of India’s most prestigious science centres is inspiring and shows the path for other districts to empower girls in STEM.
A vision born from necessity
Gumla Deputy Commissioner Karn Satyarthi, who spearheaded this initiative, understood that the absence of role models in STEM plays a huge part in why even bright students from underprivileged areas do not pursue careers in science and technology.
“Last year, Gumla district administration started a programme to send bright girls to ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. We started this programme because we realised that despite being incredibly bright, young students from areas facing multidimensional poverty do not have access to role models in STEM,” said Satyarthi.
Also Read: Main Bhi Curie: Haryana schoolgirls learn secrets of science
The vision behind this programme was simple – expose young girls to the world of possibilities in STEM so that they could dream bigger and aim higher.
Many of these students, coming from Eklavya School, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, and the Chief Minister’s School of Excellence, had never got the chance to see what careers in science look like up close. The visit to ISRO was an attempt to change that.
This was the second such visit organised by the Gumla district administration. The first batch, consisting of 25 girls, had made the trip the previous year. And now, this initiative is gaining national attention.
Challenging stereotypes in STEM education
According to a national report, the dropout rate for girls in secondary education is alarmingly high. Although the situation has improved in recent years, particularly due to government initiatives, girls from regions like Gumla often find themselves cut off from STEM education due to socio-economic barriers.
In this context, the success of the ‘rocket girls’ initiative becomes even more remarkable. By showing girls what a career in science could look like, the initiative provides exposure and belief in the possibilities of science education.
Also Read: Girls in rural Rajasthan show zeal for science
“We often see that even toppers are reluctant in taking up STEM as career options. Our hope is that this move will help students see the opportunities in science and technology and will give them the necessary confidence for studying science,” said Satyarthi.
A recent survey conducted by the Jharkhand Council on Science & Technology (JCST) revealed that 21 out of 24 districts have outdated science centres with old equipment. Gumla is the only district with a modern science centre featuring AI, robotics and 3D printing, thanks to Karn Satyarthi’s leadership.
Strengthening the STEM ecosystem at the grassroots
Shruti Muralidhar & Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan highlight the low representation of women in Indian STEM academia, with only 16.70 percent female faculty across 98 institutes. In their work, they suggest career support and policy changes to improve this.
In Gumla, Prof. Jaison Manjlay from IIT Gandhinagar promoted using curiosity to enhance learning, particularly in STEM subjects. Further, the district’s “Shisha Kar Bhent” initiative, led by Satyarthi, involved senior officers adopting schools to improve infrastructure like science and STEM labs, aiming to boost learning outcomes.
As part of the Regular Assessment for Improved Learning (RAIL), an initiative launched by Jharkhand Education Project Council, under the leadership of Aditya Ranjan (IAS), regular assessments have helped Gumla rise from 17th to 7th in district rankings.
Additionally, a group of dedicated teachers is driving educational improvements through innovative practices. The district also hosted “Robo Jatra,” a robotics festival involving 50 schools, encouraging STEM participation, particularly benefiting girls in science and technology education.
Inspiration for other districts
The visit to ISRO left an unforgettable mark on the girls. The sheer scale of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, the cutting-edge technology and the stories of ISRO scientists helped demystify the world of science and engineering for them.
Also Read: Karnataka youth aims for the sky with astro-tourism
The girls from Gumla returned from ISRO with memories and many aspirations. They now see themselves as potential scientists, engineers, and space explorers. The success of Jharkhand’s rocket girls should be an inspiration for other districts and states across the country.
As more and more districts begin to replicate this initiative, there’s hope that it could spark a national movement to break down the barriers preventing girls from pursuing science education.
In the last decade, there has been a steep decline in funding and leadership towards the public library and the science centres across the rural hinterland in the country, and on both these fronts, Gumla has lessons to offer based on its innovative approach from tapping funds to executing the project.
There is a dire need for vision and leadership in the rural hinterland of India to address essential issues like quality and affordable STEM education, equity and justice.
Ramesh Kumar is a Public Policy in Action (PPIA) Fellow working in Gumla, Jharkhand.
The lead image on top shows girl students from Gumla during their visit to Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. (Photo by Public Relations Department, Gumla)
