CM Dhami felicitates 149 meritorious girls

Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday felicitated 149 girls who excelled in the state board’s Class 10 and 12 examinations by presenting them with smartphones on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child.

Dhami said the occasion coinciding with the first day of Shardiya Navratri was special, saying that girls have been revered as embodiments of ‘Shakti’ (divine power) in Indian culture for centuries.

He said the true significance of ‘kanya pujan’ (worshipping of nine young girls) lay in ensuring respect, safety, education and equal opportunities for girls, adding that daughters were the strength of society and the foundation of the nation’s future.

The chief minister said the state was providing women with a 30 per cent horizontal reservation in government jobs in the state.

Under the Nanda Gaura Yojana, financial assistance of Rs 11,000 is provided on the birth of a girl child and Rs 51,000 after she passes Class 12, he said, adding that more than four lakh beneficiaries had received assistance under the scheme so far. Dhami said the state government aimed to ensure that no girl was deprived of education due to financial constraints. The smartphone distribution initiative was intended to connect meritorious girls with technology and provide them with opportunities for knowledge and skill development, he added.

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The Hans India