President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday expressed concern over gender imbalance in scientific and technological institutions across the country and said the true test of the country’s progress is in the access and opportunities it provides to girls in education.
“The overall gender imbalance in our scientific and technological institutions continues to be a concern,” the President said, adding, “A true test of India’s progress is in the access and opportunities we provide to our daughters when it comes to education.”
While addressing the faculty and students of Andhra University College of Engineering for Women, the President expressed happiness to note that 40 per cent of the students at the Andhra University are girls.
“I am happy to note that 40 per cent of students in Andhra University are girls,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the inauguration of the Classroom and Laboratory Complex at the Andhra University College of Engineering for Women will enhance the country’s capacities to produce high-quality women engineers and technologists.
“I am fully optimistic that the inauguration of the Classroom and Laboratory Complex at the Andhra University College of Engineering for Women will enhance our country’s capacities to produce high-quality women engineers and technologists,” he said.
He also highlighted that some of the country’s leading defence and space scientists – who have powered the missile programmes and rocket launches – are women.
“I must point out that some of our leading defence and space scientists – who have powered our missile programmes and our rocket launches – are women,” he said.
He said that he had the privilege to felicitate the senior DRDO scientist Dr Tessy Thomas, known as the “Missile Woman of India”, earlier this week in Agra.
“Earlier this week, at a university convocation in Agra, I was privileged to felicitate the senior DRDO scientist Dr Tessy Thomas, known as the “Missile Woman of India,” he said, adding “Women achievers like her are role models for our youth, particularly for our girl students.”
The Centre for Defence Studies, inaugurated by President Kovind at the Andhra University (AU), is the first-of-its-kind in any Indian University that will cater exclusively to the education and research requirements of the defence sector.
The Ministry of Defence is providing a grant of Rs 60 crore for setting up this centre, said Andhra University Vice-Chancellor G Nageswara Rao.
