By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 8 Mar: Celebrating the spirit of womanhood, UPES today announced a corpus of Rs 50 lakh for the Runway Programme – to support startups founded by women entrepreneurs. Other than this, the university also pledged its support to 50 women scholars pursuing PhD at UPES by offering them fellowships to encourage their academic pursuits and facilitate their research endeavours. The university also announced a Rs 2 lakh insurance cover specifically designed for the women support staff, thereby reaffirming its commitment to their personal and professional growth.
The announcements were made at the launch event of the ‘Aaj Ki Rani’ musical video. The song, sung by the reputed Bollywood singer Daler Mehndi, is an artistic and musical expression of women’s empowerment that celebrates the strength and grit of India’s modern women. The music has been composed by Nishant Ramteke and the lyrics of the song have been penned by Dr Sharad Mehra, Chairman, HERS, the sponsoring society of UPES.
UPES initiated the celebrations with a Women’s Bike Rally that was flagged off by Geeta Pushkar Dhami. On the occasion, she said, “Congratulations and best wishes to the team at UPES for organising this bike rally. UPES has been lending its support for the underserved sections of society from time to time and I am thankful to the university for all their efforts. The women in our society, state, and country shoulder several responsibilities and strengthen the economy. They deserve all the appreciation they get. We should honour and celebrate women, not just today, but every day of our lives.”
Geeta Pushkar Dhami is a social worker and wife of the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami. The rally was seen off at 8:30 a.m. from the ‘Mahendra Ground’, Dehradun Cantt. The rally, led by women bikers, showcased the strength, resilience and capabilities of women from various walks of life, and culminated at the Bidholi campus of UPES. The mega event attracted 300 staff and faculty members, along with 200 students from the university.
“In our ongoing efforts to support and uplift women, we are committed to providing opportunities for their education, skills training and personal growth. Through such initiatives, like the Women’s Day event and the Rs 50 lakh corpus for women-led startups, we are working towards a more inclusive and empowered society. We are committed to fostering an environment where women thrive and succeed in all their endeavours,” Dr Ram K Sharma, Vice Chancellor, UPES, stated.
The music video ‘Aaj Ki Rani’ perfectly captures the essence and true spirit of womanhood, while beautifully depicting the various inspiring roles played by women.
