The Punjab government, academia, civil society and industry came together at Thapar Institute in Patiala on Saturday to launch the STEM Collective, a multi-year programme to promote science education among girls in Punjab.
As many as 100 girls from 25 government schools across the city joined the programme’s first cohort. Aiming to reach 100 girls annually, the programme is designed to be replicated across other states.
The STEM Conclave marked the public launch of the STEM Collective, built in partnership between Sanjhi Sikhiya, Avanti Fellows, PI-RAHI and the Department of School Education, Punjab, with support from Genpact.
The selected 100 girls took a tour of the exhibition put up by various organisations, heard STEM alumni talk through their science journey and later participated in a guided campus immersion at Thapar’s ongoing Techfest – Helix, exploring robo wars, hackathons, and advanced laboratories, many for the first time.
Simultaneously, science and mathematics teachers held small group sessions with professors from IIT Ropar, Thapar University, Punjabi University.
“This is not just about choosing science as a subject — it is about understanding why we learn what we learn,” said Dr Jaswinder Singh, national award-winning science teacher from Patiala. “Students shouldn’t be scared of science. They should be curious about what lies inside their geometry boxes and how the world around them works.”
Alumni of government schools, now engineering students at NIT Jalandhar, spoke about what made the difference in their journeys: timely mentorship and access.
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Prof Arvind, former vice-chancellor of Punjabi University, reflected on his own path through a village government school. “Classroom environments often push students away from science rather than drawing them in. In my own journey, real learning began when I had to explore and understand concepts on my own.”
“Students learn as much from each other as they do from teachers,” said Prof Arun Kumar Grover, former vice-chancellor of Panjab University. “We need to create environments where curiosity is encouraged, and teachers continuously evolve with the times.”
Raising concerns around shrinking opportunities for hands-on learning, Prof Rajat Sandhir, Director, PI-RAHI, said, “How do we promote science in an ecosystem where imagination is limited and practical learning is disappearing? That is the challenge we must address together.”
Sarika Rastogi, representing Genpact CSR, highlighted the broader impact of the initiative. “When a girl from a government school in Punjab enters a career in technology, it transforms not only her life but also the aspirations of her family and community. That ripple effect is what Genpact aims to support,” she said.
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“Our mission is to advance gender equity in the world of tech as jobs in the future are deeply rooted in STEM,” he added.
In a video message, Dr Parvinder Maini, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, said, “The art of curiosity is central to science. Students need guidance, awareness of career pathways, and access — only then will they begin to see science as a real and viable option.”
“We are in it for the long haul — and if we commit to doing whatever it takes, we can help these girls truly fly high. What was most encouraging today was the tangible commitment from all stakeholders. If we can build a model that works here, it can work anywhere,” said Simranpreet, Co-founder of Sanjhi Sikhiya.
