NEW DELHI: "Women-led development is needed for all-round development of the country," asserted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a speech not too long ago. The country now has over 1.7 lakh startups, with approximately 76,000 of them led by women.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday highlighted this achievement, stating that these 1.7 lakh startups, including the 76,000 led by women, are generating over 17 lakh jobs.
“These are not just urban phenomena—Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, including smaller towns in Bihar, are emerging as hotbeds of women-led innovation. This silent revolution is rewriting India’s future, led by first-generation women entrepreneurs, researchers, and policy-makers,” Dr Singh said.
He was speaking at a one-day conference titled 'Viksit Bihar: Envisioning a Developed Bihar through Women’s Participation' jointly organised by the Department of Rural Development, Government of Bihar, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi, of which Dr Singh is the Co-Chairperson. He stated that India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047 would be led by empowered women and youth, in line with Prime Minister Modi’s vision under the paradigm of Women-Led Development.
Dr Singh emphasised that over the past 11 years, the Modi government has focused its governance around four pillars—the Poor, Farmers, Youth, and Women.
He remarked, “Women-centric governance has not only empowered individuals, but reshaped society. What began as targeted welfare has now evolved into institutional leadership."
He also launched the Jeevika E-Learning Management System App, which aims to provide accessible learning for women, and unveiled a publication titled “Shashakt Mahila, Samriddh Bihar”.
Discussing the efforts made to promote women-led development, he said, “The first phase, Access and Inclusion in Institutions, marked a historic shift in India’s educational and military landscape. Girls were admitted for the first time into Sainik Schools and the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA), breaking age-old barriers.”
He noted that combat roles in the armed forces have now been opened to women, and the country is anticipating its first woman Army Chief—an unprecedented step in gender-inclusive leadership.
Dr Singh explained that the second phase, Scientific and Technological Empowerment, has empowered women through schemes such as WISE (Women in Science and Engineering), GATI (Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions), CURIE, and the Women Scientist Programme.
As part of this effort, Patna Women’s College in Bihar is set to be adopted under the CURIE scheme to receive financial and technological support—boosting the state’s role in women’s empowerment. He also cited the Lakhpati Didi scheme, which aims to make 3 crore women financially independent.
He further spoke about workplace reforms and legal sensitivity: “These include six-month paid childcare leave for women in government service, pension rights extended to unmarried or divorced dependent daughters, and maternity leave provisions even after stillbirths—demonstrating a humane and progressive legal framework that places women’s needs at the centre of policymaking,” he said.
Dr Singh also stressed that Indian women are now strategic leaders in fields such as space, civil services, and innovation. “From Chandrayaan-3’s Kalpana to Aditya-L1’s Nigar Shaji, women have led India’s space glory,” he said. He highlighted that the first woman Director General now heads CSIR, with over one-third of CSIR laboratories across India led by women scientists—a major change in leadership representation.
He praised Bihar for its pioneering reforms in women’s empowerment, including 50% reservation for women in Panchayats and urban local bodies, and 35% reservation in the state police and civil services.
He pointed out that over 30 lakh women in Bihar have been financially empowered through targeted schemes, with cumulative support exceeding Rs 5,000 crore. Dr Singh urged the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) to document Bihar’s women-centric governance model as a replicable guide for other states.
He reaffirmed that the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 would be achieved with women at the forefront—in science, policy, leadership, and daily life—creating an inclusive and aspirational India.
The conference was also attended by Giriraj Singh, Union Minister for Textiles; Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying; Shravan Kumar, Bihar’s Minister for Rural Development; S N Tripathi, Director General of IIPA; Himanshu Sharma, CEO of the Jeevika Mission; Pratyay Amrit, Development Commissioner of Bihar; and other senior officials.