J-K govt creating gender-inclusive ecosystem: L-G Manoj Sinha

Srinagar : Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha on Wednesday said his administration is creating a gender-inclusive ecosystem in the union territory so that women have a better access to education and economic growth.

Sinha was interacting with beneficiaries from J&K under the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Pragati and Saksham scholarship schemes, through virtual mode.

In a first, 480 talented women from J&K have been included in the degree and diploma courses of the Pragati scholarship. J&K has also got nine scholarships under the Saksham scheme for Persons with Disabilities.

"The J&K government is creating an ideal, gender-inclusive ecosystem where they have better access to education and economic growth, putting them at the heart of our development initiatives and making those on the margins aware of their rights," the L-G said, terming women vital agents of change.

He said social and economic equality for women is integral to achieve rapid development.

"Women empowerment and their equal presence in the tech sector are important to build a strong community, a resilient state, and a stronger country," Sinha said, adding, "It is necessary that our girls are well-equipped with necessary knowledge, skills, and self-confidence and are included at all levels of governance."

He said the AICTE''s scholarship program and the UT government''s initiatives like Hausla, Tejaswini, Umeed, LG Super 75, Parvaz and Mumkin are some of the major steps taken in the direction of women empowerment and bridging the gender gap.

The L-G made a special mention of Sheetal Devi, one of the first 10 beneficiaries of the ''Mumkin'' scheme being provided with a mini-commercial vehicle to the youth at zero margin money for permanent employment. Like her, around four lakh such women have been socially and economically empowered by connecting them through various programs, he said.

Sinha stressed on proper implementation of policies and the need to focus on skill training and re-skilling of women so that they have an equal share in future economic opportunities.

"Collective efforts are yielding favourable results. During Kashmir University''s convocation, there were 94 gold medallists in 2021, out of which 77 per cent or 66 were women. Similarly, during the convocation of the Islamic University of Science and Technology, majority of gold medallists were women which is a clear sign of women empowerment," he said.

Speaking on the various interventions introduced by his administration in the last one year, in terms of promoting technical education in J&K, the L-G said the government has made headways in strengthening industry-academia partnerships and skill development of students at higher secondary level.

"In collaboration with Tata Technologies, we are setting up 14 centres for invention, innovation, incubation and training, out of which two centres have started in Baramulla and Jammu," he said.

The L-G said Rs 200 crore has been allocated to the colleges for skill development so that young professionals can be trained in the cutting edge Industry 4.0 technology like artificial intelligence, internet of things, 3D, data-analysis, robotics, and all other subjects.

Sinha advised the students to avail this golden opportunity to contribute to national development with their technical expertise, and overcome the modern day challenges with their collective efforts.

The students also shared their experiences on how these endeavours in the form of scholarships have brought about a massive transformation in their lives.