Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 28 Apr: Speaking during the special session of the Uttarakhand Assembly on the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, Cabinet Minister Dhan Singh Rawat today emphasised the need to provide women with adequate opportunities at decision-making platforms. He described the Act, brought by the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a historic step to ensure 33 per cent representation for women. At the same time, he also accused the opposition of obstructing its implementation and denying women their rights. Rawat said that efforts made in the field of women’s empowerment had consistently yielded positive results. On this occasion, he outlined several initiatives undertaken by the state government to strengthen women’s participation in cooperative and educational sectors.
He pointed out that in cooperative elections, women’s representation has risen significantly, with 2,517 women elected among 6,486 directors, amounting to nearly 39 per cent, and 281 of 668 committees being now led by women. In education, he said the government had ensured free and compulsory schooling for girls, provided free textbooks and uniforms and completed the construction of girls’ toilets in all schools and colleges. Rawat added that 39 Kasturba Gandhi hostels were functioning across the state, offering free education to girls. Rawat noted that measures in safety, transport, counselling and co-curricular activities had reduced the dropout rate in higher education by 12 per cent, while the gross enrolment ratio had reached 48 per cent.
The Education Minister also mentioned schemes such as Vidya Jyoti scholarships and the Gaura Devi Kanya Dhan Yojana, which he reminded, have strengthened girls economically. He said that three state universities have appointed women vice-chancellors to promote female leadership. Rawat announced that student union elections would soon reserve 50 per cent representation for girls, stressing that women excel when given opportunities in leadership. He reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that half the population receives its rightful share through the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, declaring that the state would continue to advance women’s empowerment across all sectors.
