Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday spotlighted the state government’s ongoing push to empower schoolgirls through martial arts training under the Rani Lakshmibai Atma Raksha Prashikshan scheme.
According to the Chief Minister, more than 10.5 lakh girls have already taken the martial arts training program.
Posting on microblogging platform X, Sarma underscored the importance of education and empowerment for young girls.
“Our girls should be educated, empowered & brave. They should be able to take up any challenge, and our Govt is working towards ensuring this,” he wrote.
The self-defence program, launched to equip girls with practical skills to safeguard themselves, has so far trained more than 10.5 lakh students from Classes VI to XII.
Participants undergo a three-month training course in martial arts, including Karate, Judo, and Taekwondo, fostering both physical strength and mental resilience. In the current 2024–25 cycle, the Assam government has allocated Rs 20.39 crore for the initiative, reaching over 13,000 schools across the state.
The widespread implementation reflects the government’s broader agenda of enhancing safety, confidence, and leadership among adolescent girls.
Praised for its holistic approach to empowerment, the initiative not only promotes self-defence but also instils discipline and self-assurance among students.
As Assam continues to focus on youth empowerment, the scheme has emerged as a flagship effort in preparing girls to face real-world challenges with courage and capability.
Earlier, the Chief Minister claimed the state government’s ambitious scheme, Nijut Moina, to support young girls by providing cash benefits, has proven to be beneficial for eradicating child marriage from society.
He said, “The #NijutMoina Achoni is helping girls across Assam to realise their aspirations by saving them from the curse of child marriage and allowing them to pursue their education. Let’s hear from our little Bhagins on how this scheme has touched their lives.”
The Chief Minister argued that, along with strict enforcement, beneficiary schemes like the Nijut Moina initiative have been uplifting the girl children towards a better future.
The Nijut Moina initiative of the state government aims to cover 10 lakh girl students with an outlay of Rs 1,500 crore, and in the first year, over 1.6 lakh girls will get Rs 240 crore.
(IANS)
