For decades, India’s premier engineering institutions have grappled with a stubborn reality: the number of women pursuing engineering remains markedly low. The imbalance has been so chronic that the Indian Institutes of Technology were compelled to introduce supernumerary seats, additional, women-exclusive seats, from 2018 onward. The idea was simple but urgent: reverse the declining presence of women in an ecosystem long defined by male dominance.The Joint Admission Board (JAB), alarmed by the dip from 9 percent women in 2015 to 8 percent in 2016, (TNN report), mandated a phased policy to push female representation to 20 percent by 2026. The move was not merely corrective but existential; without intervention, the IITs risked perpetuating a talent pool that looked increasingly homogeneous and unrepresentative of the country’s educational aspirations.
Who hosts more women students?
With the policy in force and gender diversity now an institutional priority, the question gains sharper relevance: Which of the two leading institutes, Bombay or Madras, houses a larger cohort of female students? Officials recall that even when women cleared the Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced), their numbers remained low simply because fewer young women attempted the exam in the first place. Cultural discouragement, lack of access to coaching, and systemic biases hindered participation.IIT Madras
IIT Bombay
When the numbers are placed side-by-side, the picture becomes clear:
- IIT Madras: 1587 women
- IIT Bombay: 1677 women
IIT Bombay currently hosts a higher number of female students than IIT Madras. The difference is not astronomical, but it is significant, led primarily by Bombay’s larger undergraduate intake. IIT Bombay’s 4-year UG programmes alone house nearly a thousand women, giving the institute a decisive edge.
Understanding the larger context
The comparison, however, is a snapshot of a wider and more nuanced landscape. Both institutions represent an evolving commitment to gender equity, an outcome driven by policy intervention, cultural shifts, and the slow but steady rise in female participation in STEM disciplines.Yet the struggle remains complex. Even as the supernumerary quota increases interest, officials acknowledge deeper structural barriers, especially at the school level. A decline in girls qualifying JEE (Advanced) between 2015 and 2016 highlights how coaching access and academic encouragement remain uneven.
