Copyright timesnownews
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Wednesday felicitated two topper girls from each district of his constituency for their good scores in Class 10 board exams. The topper girls were felicitated with laptops. A number of topper schoolgirls, who were invited to the minister’s residence this morning for breakfast and a sweets distribution ceremony, hailed from distant and hilly regions, including Chhatroo and Padar in Kishtwar district, as well as Pogal in Ramban district. While presenting laptops to topper girls, each from the districts of Udhampur, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, and Kathua, Dr. Singh hailed the fact that the facilitated students hail from little-known villages and towns of these districts. "It is Diwali. On this auspicious occasion, this is the best gift to meritorious students to bring ease in their education and studies. As we talk about ease of business and ease of living, this is about ease of education and preparation for competitive examinations. These girls are from far-flung areas," Singh told local reporters after distributing laptops. Singh remarked that students today are no longer confined by their parents’ choices of subjects, emphasizing that they now have the autonomy to explore and select from a wide spectrum of disciplines based on their individual aptitude, interests, and evolving aspirations. He added that this shift reflects a progressive change in the education system, empowering young minds to pursue careers aligned with their passions rather than predetermined expectations. "There is true democratisation of opportunities and aspirations in this country today," he said. Singh said he was prompted to start this novel tradition of felicitating and facilitating girl students after learning from his experience in the ministries that deal with students and youth. He revealed that out of around 1.75 lakh registered start-ups in India today, nearly 50,000 to 60,000 are women-led. "As for civil services examinations, even this year all three all-India toppers were girls, while in the 2022 Civil Services Exam, the 11th all-India topper was a girl from Poonch Degree College." Even in the space sector, important projects like Aditya-L1 and Chandrayaan-3 had women in leading roles, Singh noted. He also urged students to leverage technology for their academic growth and for the betterment of society. Singh also added that the government has ensured democratisation of opportunities for students belonging to all sections of society and all genders.
