From women’s participation to women-led development: Jitendra Singh

New Delhi [India], February 6 (ANI): Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that Indian women have graduated from the role of participation to that of leadership in the 10 years of Narendra Modi government.

“…Indian women have graduated from the role of participation to the role of leadership and women’s participation has evolved into women-led development,” Singh said in a press conference on Tuesday.

Pointing out an example, the Minister of State of the Ministry of Science and Technology said that while the head of India’s solar mission, Aditya L1 is a woman the joint director of the country’s lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3 is also a woman.

“…It is a direct example that is in front of us in the Department of Space, where the head of Aditya Mission is also a woman and the joint director of Chandrayaan is also a woman. Due to PM Modi’s personal efforts and intervention, women were allowed to get commissioned in the Army…,” Singh said.

Nigar Shaji is the project director of Aditya L1 while the mission director of Chandrayaan-3 was Mohana Kumar.

The Armed Forces have opened entry for women candidates in National Defence Academy (NDA) with 19 cadets including 10 for Indian Army joining the academy every six months. The first, second and third batch of women cadets started training in NDA with effect from July 2022, January 2023 and July 2023 respectively.

The Union Minister further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took several women-centric decisions since 2014 not only for their convenience but also to ensure their health and safety.

“In the last 10 years, after PM Modi took oath as the Prime Minister on 26 May 2014, many women-centric decisions were taken one after the other, administrative reforms were made, such schemes were created which reaches every class of woman, not only for the convenience of women, but also with concern for their health as well as their safety,” Singh said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Minister claimed that women should be given a level-playing field so that they can realise the dream of Vikshit Bharat (developed India).

“Overall all these schemes have been implemented with great sensitivity. PM Modi often says that the next 20-30 years are important to realise the dream of Vikshit Bharat. It is important that women, who are 50 per cent of our population, should have the right opportunity to fulfill this dream,” Singh said.

The Union Minister highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014 under which 12 crore toilets have been built for women, which ensures proper health as well as their security.

“In 2014, during his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed for cleanliness and for building toilets…Whatever PM Modi appeals takes the form of a people’s movement. In a year, four lakh toilets for women were built. Today 12 core women toilets have been built. This not only ensures proper health but also security,” Singh said.

The Government of India has launched “Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)” on October 2, 2014 to eliminate open defecation, eradicating manual scavenging and to bring about a behavioral change in people regarding healthy sanitation practices.