LOK SABHA SPEAKER INAUGURATES NEW BUILDING OF WOMEN’S COMMERCE COLLEGE IN PUNE
Pune/New Delhi; 28 September, 2022: Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla, who is on a day long visit to Pune to address naming ceremony at the Women Commerce College of Maharashtra Girls Education Society, said that earlier there was discussions of increasing participation of women, but now the discussion is on the leadership potential of women. From Panchayat to President, women are leading the way based on their strength and skills, said Shri Birla. The college has been named after Durgabai Mukunddas Lohia. Shri Birla also inaugurated the new building of the college.
Addressing a grand function organized in Huzurpaga area, Shri Birla said that it was in Pune itself, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, that Savitri Bai Phule and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule had paved the way for women’s education. Thereafter, great freedom fighters like Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Veer Savarkar, Mahadev Govind Ranade, and Balgangadhar Tilak not only strengthened the freedom movement but also encouraged women’s education. He added that the future generation is well aware of the value of education, but there remains a need to accelerate the campaign to encourage education across all age groups and this must begin from Pune itself.
Shri Birla said that today women are ahead in every field. Women are at the forefront everywhere including engineering, medical, defence, politics, social sector, art, and music, and this is primarily because of the inspiration of the great personalities who promoted women’s education even before independence. He added that now when India is moving ahead with the goal of a becoming a developed nation and Prime Minister is ensuring the availability of opportunities to women, in consideration of their important role in this endeavor.
Shri Birla said that at the time of independence, our literacy rate was only 18 percent. Today, we are reaching 80 percent literacy rate. Women teachers have an important role in this achievement, who have in these 75 years gone to the inaccessible and remote areas and spread the light of education. He added that alongside this effort, the students were also acquainted with our rich culture and heritage. The Indian education system is the best in the world and our teachers are the most respected, said Shri Birla.
The programme was presided over by Shri Shyam Jaju, former National Vice President of BJP. Earlier, the President of the society Ms. Rekha Tai welcomed the dignitaries.
Later, Shri Birla was felicitated by the Rajasthani community living in Pune. On this occasion, Shri Birla said that the people of Rajasthan are known all over the world for their hard work, dedication, their sweet behavior, talent and skill. He further said that wherever he goes, whatever the place may be, there he mixes in that society.
Shri Birla emphasized that there is another characteristic of the people of Rajasthan that wherever they live they stay connected to their roots, stick to their culture and their traditions, never forget them. He further said that the people of Rajasthan have made a valuable contribution in the development of Maharashtra by staying connected with their values.
