This Women's Day, here's how IITs are setting a new benchmark for Indian companies to follow

International Women’s Day saw a lot of examples on how the society needs to contribute so that women can be treated as an equal. In this regard, one of the IITs has taken a step forward and done what most companies should be doing for their women employees.

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, has set up a creche within its campus to ensure that kids are looked after even when their mothers are working. Due to this step, young mothers, faculty members and non-teaching staff of IIT-Kharagpur are heaving a sigh of relief.

53 happy babies have already enrolled in the facility, which was earlier a bungalow inside the campus and was remodelled to a creche. The creche-montessori playhouse-cum care-giving centre will handle babies to 10 year olds. Children going to primary schools can come directly to the care-centre for food, rest and homework, till their mothers are free to collect them.

The creche has 14 support staff, including six teachers, six ayahs, one attendant and one supervisor. It opens at 7.30am and remains open till late in the evening. It is fully air-conditioned and packed with specialized Montessori teaching equipment, furniture, play area, activity zone and a computer lab.

IIT-Kharagpur director Partha Pratim Chakraborty said: "The creche was a crying need. We wanted our talented women on campus to put in their best but it was often difficult for them to work at their optimum leaving their babies at home."