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Another kind of celebration
BITS
Pilani is an exception to stereotypes and realities about women in
engineering, technology and related fields. We know it to be an
extremely progressive institution; A BITS press release of December
2005 established that our enrollment statistics indicate that girls opt
for Engineering, Pharmacy and Management programs just as they for in
Science programs. The Press  Release
further stated that low female enrollment in Engineering can be found
at institutions even across the USA (with exceptions like MIT where
women currently makeup 36 percent of all undergraduates). If this is
the case in the United States, one would expect a country such as India
with a sliding sex ratio, instances of female feticide and women just
making up 6 percent of the workforce, to have low levels of enrollment
for higher education, particularly engineering. However, our
Institution provides proof to the contrary.
In addition to trends in the enrollment statistics of women, we also
wanted to critically assess how BITSian women have fared over the
years. What kind of professions are they in? What has the journey been
like for them, both through their Pilani as well as beyond?
Our cover story in this issue of Sandpaper attempts to answer these
questions and celebrate the achievements of BITSian women. It not only
addresses our curiosity, but also serves as an inspiration for us, for
both women and men. It answers fundamental questions like
‘how’ (have women achieved success) and ‘where’
(what companies) and ‘what’ (sectors –Engineering?
Business? Non profits?) BITSian women have pursued their interests.
Furthermore, it only stands to reason that this cover story would be
authored by a team led by the first Woman President of the BITS Student
Union, Aditi Pany.
For good measure and with Sandpaper’s affinity for the humorous,
we called the team that worked very hard on about ‘half’ of
this issue – The Better Half!
We interviewed women spanning multiple BITSian generations, attempting
to discover what their experience at Pilani was like. We delved into
their post-Pilani lives as well. We walked down memory lane revisiting
the joyous and the sorrowful times that made up some of the best days
of our lives. We explored the biases women face in technology, the
business styles that contributed to women’s successes and
transitions of a different kind. There are many women in the non-profit
sector. In fact, the first BITSian women who attended the first ever
social services project by BITS Pilani, i.e. BITSunami, has recounted
her story in this issue.
Our Quarterly BITSians are two outstanding women from the corporate and the academic realms. Punita Pandey (EEE), an
exemplary entrepreneur is the Chairman and CEO of netCustomer, founded
in 1999, which is a leading provider of advanced applications support
services. Her initial years at netCustomer were studied by Stanford
University as part of a case study, which is now taught at various
business schools.
Dr. Reena Agarwal (MMS) is
a Visiting Professor of Finance, Sloan School of Management, MIT and
Stallkamp Faculty Fellow and Professor of Finance, Georgetown
University. She was named among the “Outstanding Faculty”
in the Business Week Guide to the Best Business Schools. Through her
career, she has been Visiting Research Scholar at the IMF (2004, 2003),
Fulbright Scholar in Brazil and Chile, Academic Fellow at the US SEC
(1997-1999), Consultant with the NASDAQ, UN, IMF, IFC, IDB, Credit
Suisse etc.
Previous Sandpaper issues have focused on different subjects (which is
not to say, we leave them stranded subsequently). To begin with, we did
feel that restricting ourselves to subjects like Entrepreneurship or
Social Service or BITSians in Finance would be more neutral than
focusing on women. I too was of the view initially, but this issue has
indeed become a celebration of the accomplishments of BITSian women who
hail from one of the most progressive universities in India, BITS
Pilani.
In the last issue, Buvana talked about how women can overcome
constraints and return to work after a break. Success, part time work,
constraints, joys, transitions, sabbaticals apart; adapting their
styles and overcoming biases, or just being themselves, BITSian women
have done us proud. Those we have talked about, and those we have not.
Those we know about and those that we, unfortunately don’t.
Forget gender wars on campus. We have come a long way and cannot
discount the role of BITSian guys in making our Institution
progressive. And, not, this is not merely to placate BITSian men who
felt left out from this issue!
 The BITSian Women’s Council (WOC)
was established just six months back, like an inspiring Old
Girls’ Club and it has burgeoned to over 300 members. We also did
have one BITSian guy arguing gender discrimination, who tried to become
a member. Very original!
That’s what makes BITS so special. An original bunch of people pursuing their eclectic careers, chasing their dreams.
In addition, another reason this issue has been special for me is that
this is Sandeep’s last issue as Chief Editor. He has meant a
great deal to me, doubling up as somebody I’ve enjoyed working
with, and somebody who’s become a friend for life.
And for all of us,
Oh you can sneak time,
and you can dream time,
But just like some drummers
we've had the often damaging experience of working with -
You just can't keep time.
Yes, we’ve had the time of our lives!
I can vouch for most BITSian women, ‘Yes, we’ve had the time of our lives.’ Now let’s read about it.
Anuradha Sharma Gupta (’86 MMS)
Guest Editor
April 15, 2006
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