Expanding Women’s Role in Decision Making

Published By : Admin | March 14, 2019 | 14:49 IST

Women are an integral part of Indian history and culture. Right from Hindu mythology to India’s struggle for independence to being the fastest growing economy of the world, women have played very strong and decisive role in shaping narratives across capacities. India, under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken that legacy forward and entrusted women with responsibilities that they are capable of shouldering. There have been concerted efforts to ensure meaningful representation across professions and empowerment of women at the lower rung of the social strata. These initiatives are beyond the realms of gender equality. They espouse to motivate women to take up fresh challenges and inspire women to chase their dreams in a secure environment.

Unlike some leaders who have trivialized the role of Defence Minister on account of her gender, the Narendra Modi Government has gone out of its way to enlarge women’s role in highest rungs of decision making in the country. The policy interventions by the government have equipped and empowered women to take on leadership roles in their communities, organisations and households. This is a clear departure from the tokenism practiced by the UPA. Right from ignoring issues related lack of women representation within the party to promoting daughters and wives of well-known politicians, there was little for self-made women in the era. Women need not be restricted to issues related to women. We need to channel their capabilities beyond their gender, and this has been practiced by the Modi Government in both, spirit and action.

Representation for All

• With 9 women in the Council of Ministers, two women in the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) (a first for India) including the first full-time defence Minister, the leadership is actively breaking the glass ceiling for women by its own actions. For the common citizens, this representation is not limited to the particular name or number. It sends out a very encouraging signal to the larger population, i.e., it is possible for women from common families, sans any famous surname, to go out and make a mark for themselves solely based on their capability and competency.

• On multiple occasions it was observed that due to lack of training, decision-making for Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) of Panchayats had continued to be driven by male family members. This defeated the purpose of 33% reservation for women in the panchayat bodies. The Ministry of Women & Child Development launched a nation-wide training programme for Elected Women representatives (EWRs) of Panchayats with the objective to enhance their capacity, capability and skill in governance and administration of villages

• The Indian female CEO of a unicorn startup hails from a common family. This is significant because young girls in India are able to chase their dreams with complete support from policy and lawmakers.

• One of the largest angel investor clubs in the country has noted that the number of ideas coming from women has increased from 10% (2014) to 30% (2018).

• In 2018, three women were inducted as fighter-pilots in the Indian Air Force. For every young girl who was conditioned to believe she has gender-based constraints that prevented her from fighting for her motherland, this was a welcome departure.

Empowerment for All


• Over 9 crore women constituting over 74% of the beneficiaries, have benefitted jointly from Mudra & Stand-Up India. These women entrepreneurs are India’s social ambassadors of women empowerment. They are not only financially independent, they are also in a position to support more women by creating livelihood opportunities for them.

• A lot of girls would drop out of school or be absent during menstruation due to lack of sanitation facilities. Significant increase in enrollment of girls in secondary schools has been observed, primarily due to access to toilets at school. As per Unified District Information System for Education (U-DISE) 2015-16, the girl’s enrolment in secondary education has increased to 80.97% against 76% in 2013-14.

• By giving access to a basic utility like cooking gas, we have empowered women with additional time, which they can choose to use at their own will.

• 75% of the house-owners of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) are women. This is an unprecedented level of social security that has been conferred on women.

The task of Narendra Modi led NDA was not limited to social empowerment or financial independence for women. The mandate was to deliver both, in adequate proportions, depending on the educational, social and economic position of the beneficiary. For a woman who not only had to work her way through gender-bias, but often work doubly hard to prove her mettle, times have changed significantly both at personal and professional fronts. As investors look beyond gender, it must be noted that shift in opportunities and resources for women can be observed in both rural and urban areas.

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PM Modi’s Vision Fuels Delhi’s Development
April 12, 2024

“Delhi has the good fortune to get an opportunity of keeping the flag of nations' prestige flying high.”
- PM Narendra Modi as Delhi prepared to host the G20 Summit

The last ten years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government have set in motion the creation of a New India—from rural to urban, from water to electricity, from houses to health, from education to employment, from castes to classes—a comprehensive plan bringing growth and prosperity to each doorstep.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi has emerged as a pivotal part of this dynamic developmental momentum spearheaded by PM Modi throughout this transformative decade.

The city has been at the heart of the infrastructural shift that has given a dedicated facelift to the entire nation. Today infrastructural marvels like Atal Setu, Chenab Bridge, Statue of Unity, and Zojila Tunnel dot India’s ever-evolving landscape.

With its focus on revamping transportation networks, upgrading urban amenities, and expanding digital infrastructure, the Modi government has launched an array of transformative initiatives. From railways, highways to airports, these initiatives have been key in galvanising inclusive and sustainable development across the length and breadth of the country.

The impressive expansion of the metro rail network has revolutionised urban commuting in India. From a mere 5 cities in 2014, the metro rail network now serves 21 cities across the nation—expanding from 248 km in 2014 to 945 km by 2024, with 919 km of lines under construction in 26 additional cities.

The Union Cabinet has recently approved two new corridors of Delhi Metro Phase-IV—Lajpat Nagar to Saket G-Block and Inderlok to Indraprastha. Both the lines have a combined length of over 20 kms with a project cost of over Rs. 8,000 crore (funding being sourced from the Union Govt, Govt of Delhi, and international agencies). The Inderlok- Indraprastha line will play a significant role in enhancing connectivity to the Bahadurgarh region of Haryana. Additionally, India’s first Namo Bharat train, operating on the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor further underlines the Modi government’s commitment to enhancing regional connectivity and upgrading its transportation infrastructure.

Further, the Bharatmala Pariyojana envisages improved logistics efficiency and connectivity via the development of nearly 35,000 km of National Highway corridors. 25 greenfield high-speed corridors have been planned under the plan out of which four intersect with Delhi’s growing infra capacity: Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun Expressway, and the Urban Extension Road-II. The total project length sanctioned for Delhi is 203 km with an allocation of over Rs. 18,000 crore.

Over the past decade, the Modi government has consistently dedicated efforts towards augmenting capacity and decongestion of airports. After the IGI Airport Delhi became the first airport in the country to have four runways and an elevated taxiway, the expanded state-of-the-art Terminal 1 has also been inaugurated recently. In addition, the upcoming Noida International Airport (Jewar) shall further contribute to decongestion of the Delhi airport which is serving millions of passengers annually.

Besides, the inauguration of the New Parliament has further added civilisational yet modern connotations to the city’s landscape. Inauguration of the Yashobhoomi (India International Convention & Expo Centre) has given Delhi India’s largest convention and exhibition centre, offering a mixed purpose tourism experience. Along with Yashobhoomi, the Bharat Mandapam, a world-class convention and exhibition centre, showcases India to the world.

In terms of welfare, the Modi government has launched several schemes benefitting people hitherto on the margins of growth and development. Women’s safety in Delhi has been a key concern. To address the same, the Modi government strengthened the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 by increasing the quantum of punishment for rape, including capital punishment for rape of a girlchild below the age of 12.

The Union Home Ministry established a separate Women Safety Division back in 2018. One-stop centers, Sakhi Niwas, Safe City Project, Nirbhaya Fund, SHe-Box, Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences, and Cri-MAC (Crime Multi-Agency Center) among others are significant additions in the government’s campaign towards women safety.

In addition, Swachh Bharat Mission, PM Ujjwala Yojana, PM Matru Vandana Yojana, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao have further led to the empowerment of Nari Shakti in India.

As India becomes the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world, Delhi is also contributing significantly towards this development. Today over 13,000 DPIIT-recognised startups are functioning in Delhi even as the government is promoting self-employment through PM MUDRA Yojana with over 2.3 lakh loans sanctioned worth over Rs. 3,000 crore for FY2023-24 (as on 26.01.2024).

PM SVANidhi, which provides collateral free loans to street vendors, is supporting over 1.67 lakh beneficiaries in Delhi. Further, under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana, launched in 2020 to incentivise employers for creation of new employment and restoration of loss of employment during Covid-19 pandemic, over 2.2 lakh employees benefitted in Delhi.

Further, nearly 30,000 houses have been sanctioned and completed in Delhi under PM Awas Yojana (Urban).

Air pollution has been a recurring problem for the people of Delhi. Conscious of this reality, the central government has launched the National Clean Air Programme as a national level strategy to reduce air pollution level across the country.

The Modi government's tenure over the last decade has brought about a remarkable transformation in Delhi across various fronts. From infrastructure development to governance reforms, from education to employment, the government's initiatives have left an indelible mark on the capital city. As Delhi continues on its journey of progress and development, the contributions of the Modi government are set to shape its future trajectory for years to come.