Dr Swarup, you joined as a Science Manager in the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, in 1989. In the nearly 25 years that you have been in the Ministry, you have risen steadily through the ranks. Who have been your sources of inspiration, your role models?
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Dr Renu Swarup
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I think it is all about growing up with a strong value system and imbibing those values. And for that I have to thank my parents. It is to them that I owe my value system of integrity, the attitude that ‘work is worship’. These helped me to be where I am today.
In my career and profession, I have been very lucky that all my seniors have been very supportive and I have been able to imbibe the best qualities from all of them.
Science is a male dominated field and even more so at the regulator level. Can you share some success mantras?
What really pays is hard work, sincerity, integrity and commitment. My father used to say that ‘work is worship’. And I believe that you will not get respect if you use special considerations.
| STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART |
| My first wish is that women get due recognition for the work they have done. We need to look at what can be done to see more women at higher levels. We need to analyse the reasons why they drop out, and identify gaps that can be fixed.
I would love to see more women entrepreneurs. We are not giving them the confidence to start their own company. We have excellent role models like Kiran Mazumdar Shaw. We need incubators, accelerators to become more proactive towards women entrepreneurs. We need to create more networking platforms and initiatives like the first biotechnology park for women, The Golden Jubilee Biotech Park for Women Society, situated inside the SIPCOT IT Park in Tamil Nadu which provides opportunities in the field of biotech to prospective women entrepreneurs. There are excellent examples of women entrepreneurs here. |
You were also a member of the Task Force on Women in Science constituted by the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister. What were your recommendations? What are the outcomes of this Committee?
Broadly speaking, we made specific recommendations to empower and track the career paths of women scientists by enabling career advancement and re-entry through measures like refresher training and mentorship programmes.
We are asking for special considerations due to the socio-economic conditions which impact their careers and cause a break in their career.
We also made recommendations to better the working conditions, as well as create better mobility options.
Further, we recommended measures to attract girls into science careers through education reform and holding camps and role model programmes.
We have already activated schemes. For instance, the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India initiated the Bio-CARe scheme in 2010 to build capacities for women scientists employed fulltime in universities and small research laboratories or unemployed women scientist after a career break so as to help them undertake independent R&D projects. So far 63 women scientists have been supported