Visakhapatnam: Here are the girls who chose to tread a challenging path

Visakhapatnam: While most of their counterparts aspire to become IT engineers and to work in conventional fields, here are a few students from the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE), Visakhapatnam, who say they have a different take.

Arpita Tripathi, a B Tech fourth-year Chemical Engineering student chose chemical engineering as she felt it was closest to her interests. Apart from several commendable advancements in the industry that fascinated her, Arpitha said she knew that the field of engineering she is pursuing has been traditionally male dominated.

"The fact that this stream of engineering is not something that is preferred by many female candidates made me want to apply for it. It is the need to be different from the crowd that has given me the push to pursue engineering in this branch. I wanted to be part of an exciting environment of research and knowledge," she added.

Aayushi Jagat Gangwar, a third-year student of Petroleum Engineering, feels that it is true that these fields of engineering are male-dominated domains. But that's the thrill. "Every time I feel scared about how things may turn out to be later when I get into the industry, I motivate myself that I can do it, no matter how hard or impossible it sounds. Also, we should be looking at fields of science rather than associating them with some gender," she said.

Subhadra Jamkar studying Chemical Engineering sees that her field of study can provide sustainable solutions to all our problems. She got inspired by the versatility and multidisciplinary approach of chemical engineering and decided to pursue it. "I always wanted to be a part of the scientific community relentlessly working to mitigate humanity's problems. As India heads toward becoming Aatmanirbhar, women in science, especially in chemical and energy sectors, have a huge role to play in the coming years and they can make a positive impact on society," she told The Hans India.

Pallavi Vemulapalli preferred petroleum over the rest of the courses at IIPE because of great career opportunities in this domain across the nation and abroad. The oil industry is adventurous and one of the riskiest to be in and that is why women should join this field and prove that they are second to none.

Ankitha Chakravarthy, a third-year chemical engineering student said that her transition into the energy field was not a smooth one. However, her trials and tribulations provided her with ample experience and a unique foresight. These fields offer unique opportunities to work on critical issues related to energy production, such as developing sustainable and efficient technologies, improving safety standards, and reducing environmental impacts, she added.