Last Updated: December 1, 2024
As part of our ongoing Women’s Mentorship Program, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has implemented various mentoring schemes to support women students after they join our institution.
At Amrita, we believe mentorship can be an incredibly powerful tool to encourage the growth of young women and help them reach their full potential.
In 2024, 85% (+2 % compared to last year) of our women students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels participated in mentorship programs at Amrita.
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham offers different mentoring schemes to accompany, guide and inspire women students:
Several of our schemes are available both for staff and students. In each of these schemes, at least 10% of female students are participating.
1.1 Team Shakti
Team Shakti is a group of young female students dedicated to driving change in the field of cybersecurity. Established as a Capture The Flag (CTF) team, they share knowledge and work to bridge the gender gap in the field. The team follows a peer mentoring model, with senior members guiding juniors, fostering mutual support and strengthening the group. Since its founding in 2019 by Shri Vipin Pavithran, Team Shakti has been recognized as India’s only CTF team exclusively comprising female students.
In May 2024, ShaktiCon, one of India’s leading cybersecurity conferences for women, was conducted by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. Over 2,300 participants from 45 countries took part in the ShaktiCTF ethical hacking contest and the ShaktiCon conference. This third consecutive edition of the women-only events brought together industry experts, thought leaders, and enthusiasts to promote knowledge sharing, networking, and empowerment.
“As our Chancellor, Amma’s vision to promote diversity and inclusion led to ShaktiCon & ShaktiCTF — platforms for women to showcase expertise, share insights, and advance their careers,” said Dr. P. Venkat Rangan, Vice Chancellor.
ShaktiCTF, held over four months in three rounds before the conference, featured speakers from seven countries, including Germany, Egypt, Israel, USA, South Korea, Denmark, and India. Their expertise inspired and empowered attendees.
Born from the understanding that cultural circumstances often hinder women in male-dominated fields, ShaktiCon provides a platform to showcase the talents of women in cybersecurity.
Example of post on social media:
1.2 Support Group for Women Ph. D. Students
Amrita School of Social and Behavioural Sciences started in August 2022 the first Women PhD student support group facilitated by Dr Martha Miller, Adjunct Professor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, and Faculty Director at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Anderson Women Leadership’s Institute, USA.
The first group consists of 3 women PhD students of the School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (representing 25 % of the 13 women PhD students in end 2024). They meet at least once in a month. In December 2024, already 21 sessions have been successfully conducted.
The goal of peer mentoring is to cultivate a nurturing environment of mutual support and compassion by engaging in empathetic and focused listening, being fully present in mind and heart. In peer mentoring sessions, whether conducted virtually or in person, each female PhD participant is given a designated time to speak. The individual in focus expresses their current emotional state, discusses the challenges they are encountering in their professional or personal life, and articulates specific research-related issues they are endeavoring to resolve. Fellow group members provide attentive listening, offer support, and, when feasible, suggest potential pathways for the person to progress.
“Joining Martha’s Support Group has been one of the most meaningful decisions of my PhD journey. While it may appear to be a small and informal space, its impact has been deeply significant. In a research environment often centered on milestones and achievements, the group offers a rare opportunity to pause, reflect, and discuss the emotional dimensions of the doctoral process. Being able to share experiences, express challenges, and gain clarity through open and supportive conversations has been invaluable. It remains one of the sessions I most look forward to each month, both for its sense of community and for the perspective it brings to my academic journey.” Meenu P Prakash, PhD Student in Social Sciences.
Martha Miller’s Testimony
“During my own journey to obtaining my PhD, I discovered the process involved a great deal of stamina and weathering of a range of energy ups and downs during the coursework, teaching, specials papers and dissertation. The women students in my PhD cohort, and within the many PhD candidates I taught after becoming a professor, were significantly aided by provision of safe places to talk. In these spaces they could encourage one another, discover they were not alone in their occasional self-doubts or wondering “Why am I doing this to myself?”, and exchange tips and inspiration for what to focus on and how to handle the challenges they faced. This was the genesis of my offer to provide similar sessions for the Women Phd Candidates at Amritapuri. It was an honor to have done so for the first cadre of students. I am humbled and impressed by the topics they have chosen, each of which promises to add insight and tools to aid society in impactful ways. I am grateful to work with such talented and humane researchers.” Martha Miller, PhD Counsellor
1.3. Access to Women High Management Mentors
Our female students can request mentorship on critical personal and academic issues from women in top management and senior faculty counselors at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. This mentorship is usually reserved for complex topics that typically cannot be addressed by class counselors. This access to female top management offers many advantages to our female students:
Testimony of Dr Parvathy V., Chair of the Social Sciences Department, narrating the continuous mentoring guidance of the Chancellor Amrita Anandamayi Devi since her BSW, and Bri Deepthi, a PhD student, on her conversation with Dr. Maneesha V. Ramesh, Provost Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.
“It is with immense pride and gratitude that I share the exceptional opportunities I received as an Amrita alumnus during my undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD studies at Amrita. One of the most significant opportunities was the direct guidance and mentorship of our esteemed Chancellor, Dr. Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi. Having direct access to her wisdom and expertise is a rare privilege, and it has been a highlight of my time at Amrita.
During my undergraduate studies, the Chancellor’s projects and initiatives, particularly the community outreach programs, inspired me. Her personal guidance and mentorship extended beyond academics, shaping my extracurricular and co-curricular activities, which were closely linked to societal service and community-benefiting projects.
The Chancellor’s mentorship continued throughout my postgraduate program in Master of Social Work, where she provided academic and emotional support, significantly influencing my performance and mental well-being. Her guidance also played a pivotal role in my PhD research, ensuring its successful completion. Having a female mentor with expertise and compassion is invaluable for women like me.
I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support I received from the academic and management teams at Amrita.” Dr Parvathy V
“As a PhD scholar at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, working under the guidance of Dr. Maneesha V. Ramesh, Provost of Amrita University, Dean of the School for Sustainable Futures and UNESCO Chair on Experiential Learning has been a truly transformative experience. Her visionary leadership in IoT, AI-based landslide early warning systems and sustainable development, combined with her hands-on mentoring approach, has deeply influenced my research outlook. Dr. Maneesha’s vision of integrating interdisciplinary research—spanning computer science, earth sciences, and sustainability, reflected through initiatives like Live-in-Labs® and Jivamritam—has shown me how research can directly uplift communities while advancing scientific innovation. What inspires me most is her ability to combine deep technical expertise with compassion and purpose. Dr. Maneesha is not only an exceptional scientist but also an inspiring role model who empowers her scholars to think innovatively, work collaboratively, and pursue research with social purpose. Her constant encouragement, technical insight, and empathetic guidance make her a true pillar of academic and personal growth. Dr. Maneesha’s mentorship has shown me that with the right guidance, research can go beyond publications to create real-world impact—a lesson that continues to motivate me every day, which has eventually shaped my academic journey.” – Bri Deepthi (Vipina Valsan)
2.1 Wellness Center and Counselling
Maintaining good emotional balance is essential for students to thrive academically and personally, with unique importance for women who may face additional pressures, such as societal expectations, career-family balance concerns, or gender-based challenges. Emotional well-being promotes focus, resilience, and a positive mindset, helping students handle academic demands and make informed decisions about their future.
At Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, the Student Affairs and Welfare Department offers dedicated support through its Counselling Wing, which addresses students’ personal and emotional concerns. This department serves as a one-stop support hub, providing guidance for both students and parents on academic and non-academic issues.
By collaborating with various departments, the Counselling Wing helps resolve challenges that could hinder students’ progress, ensuring they receive timely support for both personal and academic well-being.
For assistance, students and parents can reach the Help Desk at
0422 2685050/5051 or
psw@cb.amrita.edu,
fsw@cb.amrita.edu,
osa@cb.amrita.edu
2.2 Life Skills and Professional Mentoring
Amrita CIR (Corporate and Industry Relations) department has been continuously organizing training and mentoring sessions for students to encourage their growth and help them realize their full potential. Our women students can all benefit from these trainings to develop themselves, gain inner confidence and strength for their future career endeavors.
The table below gives examples of the existing training and mentoring themes.
| FUNCTIONS | ||
| LEARNING & DEVELOPMENTCIR has been conducting training in the three major areas of Life skills – Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal and Communication Skills and Soft Skills…»» | SOFT SKILLSTraining in the area of Soft Skills is offered to students of Engineering, Management, as well as other disciplines like Computer Applications, Social Work, and Arts & Sciences…»» | VERBAL & COMMUNICATION SKILLSCIR has been conducting training in the three major areas of Life skills – Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal and Communication Skills and Soft Skills….»» |
| QUANTITATIVE AND LOGICAL REASONING SKILLSQuantitative tests are conducted by companies as part of the recruitment process to assess the candidate’s decision-making abilities,…»» | CORE COMPETENCY TRAINING – TECHNICAL SKILLSPlan, coordinate and execute core technical training across all engineering branches for B.Tech, MTech and MCA students. The technical domains would include:…»» | HIGHER LEARNING INITIATIVESCIR has been conducting training in the three major areas of Life skills – Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal and Communication Skills and Soft Skills….»» |
| FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCYMany companies who recruit from Amrita, often send students to other countries for training and projects…»» | CAREER GUIDANCEStudents often seek to clarify their career goals while in the campus. Some of them have career goals that need alignment inputs…»» | PLACEMENTSCIR strives to achieve excellent placement of students each year….»» |
| ENGINEERINGPlacement for students of engineering, arts, science and allied courses are handled by one group of experts with Head-Placement at the top…»» | MANAGEMENTIn order to fulfill the career aspirations of the students, it was found necessary for them to have expert assistance in specific areas, beyond their regular academic training…»» | CORPORATE RELATIONSThe Corporate Relations function has to be all-encompassing as it has to serve varying needs of multiple disciplines and centre of the University…»» |
| CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONCorporate Communication is being undertaken by CIR on behalf of the university with the sole objective of impacting visibility in print and electronic media through regular write-ups like features, event reports, etc….»» | CORPORATE TRAININGCIR has evolved specific corporate training programmes covering areas like leadership development, organizational development, change management, stress management,…»» | AMRITA CENTRE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIPDeveloping entrepreneurship skills amongst students has gained ground in recent times. Most futuristic models of education are focused towards creating graduates who would not just take a job,…»» |
The School of Social and Behavioural Sciences launched in September 2024 a one-year Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology at the Coimbatore–Arasampalayam campus, with 23 students admitted in its first batch. This program was designed to reinforce Amrita’s existing mentoring tools by developing a new generation of trained counsellors—particularly women—who can support and guide other women during their studies.
Many of the enrolled students are women deeply motivated to help their peers navigate academic, emotional, and social challenges. Through the program, they receive structured training in psychological assessment, communication, and therapeutic skills that enable them to become effective mentors and sources of emotional support.
Beyond skill development, the program fosters awareness of mental well-being, resilience, and self-understanding. It helps participants and those they counsel to find inner strength to face and tackle life’s challenges, to rediscover motivation, and to bring meaning and direction to their projects and their lives.
By integrating personal growth, professional counselling, and compassionate mentorship, this initiative directly strengthens Amrita’s women mentoring schemes and promotes a supportive environment that empowers women to thrive both academically and personally.
At Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, we strongly believe that our female students possess a strong inner power. By engaging in talks, webinars, and discussions on gender and women-related topics, they gain valuable insights and the opportunity to reflect, empowering them to find their own solutions to challenges. This approach fosters self-reliance and confidence—it is truly a mentorship through example!
It’s a powerful indirect form of mentorship where role models inspire others through their own experiences, actions, and resilience, rather than direct, one-on-one mentoring sessions. Below are a few examples of subjects in which our students participated in 2024:
3.1 Women resilience and forebearance
Ms. Darke shared her journey of overcoming paralysis after a climbing accident at the age of 21, highlighting how inner strength and determination can turn adversity into opportunity. She spoke about her many adventures — from hand-cycling across the Himalayas to kayaking from Canada to Alaska — all undertaken as expressions of courage and perseverance.
Her reflections deeply resonated with the audience. MSW and BSW students and faculty of Amrita attended this wonderful and inspiring session, which stood as a powerful example for women students to find inner inspiration, resilience, and confidence in the face of adversity.
3.2 Women and entrepreneurship: Being Other
On March 16th, 2024, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and the Center for Women’s Empowerment and Gneder Equality hosted Hanae Bezard for a talk on her book Being Other, celebrating “the beauty and power of being an outsider.” Drawing from her experiences as a BIWOC leader and entrepreneur, she highlighted how challenges can be reframed as opportunities for growth. She emphasized that “creative feminine leadership has the power to change the world” and encouraged women to embrace their unique perspectives. She noted, “women from the Global South and minority groups can transform the world when they recognize their creative potential and see their perceived otherness as a strength, not a limitation.” Hanae added, “The world needs more heart-centered solutions and community-focused innovators—this is your time!” and “Embracing your otherness as a unique creative superpower is key to achieving meaningful success and making a lasting impact.” Her talk inspired women students to recognize their strengths, harness their talents, pursue innovation, and rise with confidence, providing a powerful example of resilience, empowerment, and purposeful leadership.
3.3 GenAI x Gender Hackathon 202425 – Workshops
As part of the GenAI x Gender Hackathon, several workshops were conducted by eminent female professors to provide mentorship and skill-building opportunities:
These sessions offered participants practical skills, insights, and guidance from women leaders in technology. They served to inspire and mentor female participants, fostering confidence, knowledge, and engagement in innovation-driven fields.
CWEGE
The Center for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment is a research and academic center dedicated to promoting gender equality and fostering women’s empowerment, using technology and other innovative methods. Our center offers diverse courses on key focus areas, pilot radical ideas, and collaborate with leading universities and institutions to advance the initiatives. It also hosts the activities of India’s UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and offers a wide range of opportunities for students to participate in research, academic and field projects.
Amrita SREE
AmritaSREE (Self-Reliance, Employment & Empowerment) is a network of Self Help Groups managed by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham & the Mata Amritanandamayi Math that is based on the training of women to shift them from dependence to self-reliance, building trust and confidence between members. The projects are imbued with the entrepreneurial spirit and cover many areas of action, skill-development, and vocational training programs. Empowerment through loans is also facilitated to individual members to promote community growth.
CREATE/Amrita RITE
Amrita CREATE, the education-technology research lab of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, provides tablet-based, technology-driven education in remote villages areas through its rural educational program called Amrita Rural India Tablet-enhanced Education (RITE).