President Draupadi Murmu on Sunday stressed the importance of “strong participation” of women in the country’s development and highlighted key initiatives taken by the Central government for their upliftment.
Addressing the nation on the eve of the 77th Republic Day, the President underlined the contribution of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign and ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana’ to women empowerment.
He said, “Active and strong participation of women is extremely important for the development of the country. National efforts towards their health, education, security and economic empowerment have increased the participation of women in many fields.”
He stressed, “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign has encouraged girls’ education. More than 57 crore bank accounts have been opened so far under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. About 56 percent of these accounts belong to women.”
Murmu further emphasized that women have “broken traditional stereotypes” through active contribution in self-help groups and astonishing progress in agriculture, space, armed forces, self-employment, sports and other sectors.
He said, “Our women are moving ahead by breaking traditional stereotypes. They are actively contributing to the overall development of the country. More than ten crore women associated with self-help groups are redefining the process of development.”
He further said, “Women are making their mark in every field, from agriculture to space, from self-employment to armed forces. In the field of sports, our daughters have set new standards at the global level.”
She mentioned India’s victory in the Women’s Cricket World Cup and the participation of two women in the final of the Chess World Cup.
He said, “Last year in November, India’s daughters wrote a golden chapter in sports history by winning the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and subsequently the Blind Women’s T20 World Cup. Last year, the final match of the Chess World Cup was played between two Indian women. These examples are a testimony to the dominance of India’s daughters in the world of sports. The people of the country are proud of them.”
He also mentioned the increasing participation of women in Panchayati Raj institutions.
He said, “The number of women representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions is about 46 per cent. The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Act’, which aims to take the political empowerment of women to new heights, will give unprecedented strength to the idea of women-led development. The role of Nari Shakti will be crucial in building a developed India. With the increased contribution of women, our country will set an example of an inclusive republic based on gender equality.”
President Murmu appreciated the contribution of farmers to India’s society and economy. He said that the Central Government has given priority to help the farmers by ensuring fair prices for the produce, providing loans at low interest rates and providing effective insurance coverage.
He said, “Our Annadata farmers are the backbone of our society and economy. Generations of hardworking farmers have made our country self-reliant in food grains. It is because of the hard work of our farmers that we are able to export agricultural products. Many farmers have presented very impressive examples of success.”
He said, “Our priority is to ensure that our farmers get fair prices for their produce, access to loans at low interest rates, effective insurance coverage, access to good quality seeds, irrigation facilities, fertilizers to increase production, access to modern farming practices and encouragement of organic farming. ‘PM Kisan Samman Nidhi’ is honoring the contributions of our farmers and strengthening their efforts.”
He further said, “Efforts are also being made to ensure that they do not fall into the trap of poverty again. The world’s largest scheme, ‘PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana’, which embodies the spirit of Antyodaya, is based on the idea that no one should go hungry in our country with a population of over 140 crores. The scheme is providing assistance to about 81 crore beneficiaries. More than 4 crore pucca houses equipped with electricity, water and toilet facilities have been constructed for poor families. By building, they have been provided the foundation to live a dignified life and progress further.”
Republic Day is an important milestone in the national journey of India. It is the day when the Constitution of India came into force on January 26, 1950 and the country was formally established as a ‘Sovereign Democratic Republic’.
Although independence on August 15, 1947, ended colonial rule, it was the adoption of the Constitution that completed India’s transition to self-rule based on the rule of law, institutional accountability, and the will of Indians.
