lauding the initiatives taken by Chhattisgarh Government for women empowerment, Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani said that Chief Minister Raman Singh has created history by offering free education to girls till college level. Addressing a programme organised on the occasion of International Women’s Day here on Sunday, Irani said that Raman Singh has blessed the girls with free education till graduation and Engineering.
The Union Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the slogan ‘Beti Padhao-Beti Bachao’ and it is being successfully realised in Chhattisgarh. She said that male literacy rate in the country is 80 per cent while the female literacy rate is 64 per cent. We will have to make a resolution to take the literacy rate to 100 percent. Irani exhorted upon the people to come forward against female foeticide, exploitation and abuse of women.
Presiding over the programme, Chief Minister Raman Singh said that the women literacy rate has witnessed a significant increase of 8 per cent in the State in past 10 years but still much more needs to be done. He said that Chhattisgarh is the first state to offer free education to girls in BA, BSc, BCom and Engineering.
Singh highlighted various schemes of the State Government for welfare and development of women. He said that 62 lakh ration cards issued to the households are in the name of women. Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand also outlined the initiatives of State Government for women empowerment. As many as 40 women achievers were felicitated during the programme.