Agartala: Vice-President of India C. P. Radhakrishnan on Sunday said the growing success of women in education and other sectors reflects a significant shift in Indian society, and remarked that if the trend continues, a time may come when gender inequality could reverse and men might have to seek equal representation.
Addressing a gathering of Lakhpati Didis at the Hapania International Fair Ground here, Radhakrishnan said he had observed a clear pattern of female students outperforming their male counterparts during recent visits to universities across the country.
“I attended convocations in Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura over the past few days, and found that girls were receiving more gold medals than boys,” he said.
According to the Vice-President, nearly 60% of graduates are now women. “If this trend continues, gender inequality may one day be reversed and men might have to struggle for equal opportunities,” he observed.
Encouraging women associated with the Lakhpati Didi initiative, Radhakrishnan urged them to aim higher and aspire to become Crorepati Didis. He said he would like to return to the same venue in the future to interact with them at an event under that title.
Referring to government initiatives aimed at improving the status of women, he said several schemes introduced over the past decade have placed women at the centre of development efforts. These include programmes such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, and Ujjwala Yojana, which he said have contributed to improving the living standards of women.
He also cited initiatives such as Lakhpati Didi, Drone Didi, and the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam as important measures that have strengthened women’s empowerment in the country.
The Vice President appreciated the Tripura government’s plan to designate 1.35 lakh members of self-help groups (SHGs) as Lakhpati Didis, noting that more than one lakh SHG members in the state have already achieved that status. He added that around five lakh women in Tripura are associated with self-help groups.
Highlighting the scale of the SHG movement, he said India has nearly 10 crore SHG members, of whom about two crore have been recognised as SHG Didis. He also mentioned that the Sikho Didi platform has enrolled more than 8,000 women.
Recalling his interaction with an SHG leader from a remote village in Jharkhand, Radhakrishnan said the movement has enabled women who were once confined to their homes to acquire practical skills in administration, finance and management.
Describing the transformation as a “real revolution”, he said meaningful change in society can be achieved through impactful reforms without conflict.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu, Chief Secretary J. K. Sinha, and other dignitaries were present at the event.