New Delhi: Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday to discuss the operationalisation of the Inclusivity in STEMM Self-Assessment and Reporting Framework (Inclusivity-STEMM-SARF).

The meeting was convened by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA) in collaboration with the Capacity Building Commission (CBC), Department of Higher Education (DHE), and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Key participants included Dr. R Balasubramaniam, Member (HR), CBC; Shri Vineet Joshi, Secretary, DHE; Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, OPSA; along with senior officials from AICTE and DHE.

The framework is designed to evaluate and improve inclusivity in India's science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) ecosystem by focusing on gender, socio-economic, linguistic, and epistemic diversity.

Prof. Sood emphasized the critical need for inclusive scientific ecosystems, stating, “Inclusivity in STEMM is both a moral and developmental imperative that drives innovation and equitable outcomes.”

Dr. Maini highlighted OPSA's ongoing commitment to inclusive science through initiatives such as I-STEM, RuTAG, and the One Health Mission. The framework, developed after broad stakeholder consultation, is tailored to India's unique socio-cultural context, incorporating global best practices.

Decisions taken include piloting the SARF jointly with DHE, co-developing a capacity-building module with CBC, and constituting a joint working group comprising OPSA, DHE, CBC, and AICTE for overseeing implementation.