‘Ungaludan Stalin’ camps to be held from July 15 across Chennai wards

Motihari (Bihar), April 25 (IANS) Since the formation of the NDA government, the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been transforming the lives of millions of girls and their families across India.

In Bihar’s East Champaran district, the scheme is witnessing a significant response in Motihari. Excluding other banks, over 72,000 accounts have been opened in the name of daughters through post offices alone, with families actively depositing savings.

There was a time when many in society viewed daughters as a burden, especially among financially weaker sections. The cost of education, followed by the expenses of marriage, weighed heavily on parents. However, the introduction of the SSY changed that mindset.

Under this scheme, an account can be opened in the name of a girl child aged between 0 and 10 years with a minimum deposit of just Rs 250 and a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh annually. The scheme offers one of the highest interest rates among small savings schemes and aims to provide financial security for a girl’s future education and marriage.

Motihari Postal Superintendent Ashutosh Aditya said that 72,000 SSY accounts have been opened in the district through the Postal Department alone.

“To increase awareness and reach more people, we are organising camps both during the day and night across different locations,” he told IANS.

IANS spoke to some of account holders under this scheme where they expressed immense gratitude and satisfaction. For many, SSY has become a symbol of hope and security.

Shailesh Kumar, an account holder, said: “This is the best scheme launched by the Prime Minister. It offers the highest interest rate. If you deposit regularly for 15 years, starting from when the girl is under 10, it provides huge benefits. It’s excellent for both education and marriage.”

Another account holder, Shambhu Prasad, said: “I’ve also opened an account under SSY. It’s a wonderful initiative for middle-class families. Earlier, people used to think of daughters as a burden. But due to PM Modi’s scheme, that mindset is changing. Girls are now seen as blessings. I urge everyone to take advantage of this scheme.”

Vineeta Bala, another account holder, added: “This scheme is a great relief. It ensures that we don’t have to worry about our daughter’s education or marriage. It’s truly a gift for every girl child. I wholeheartedly thank Prime Minister Modi for launching such a thoughtful initiative.”

Launched on January 22, 2015, as part of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign, the SSY has become a symbol of financial empowerment and gender equality. The scheme not only offers financial benefits but also promotes the value of daughters in society.

As the SSY completes a decade on January 22, 2025, it continues to empower families to invest in their daughters’ futures and foster a culture of inclusion and progress. So far, more than 4.1 crore accounts have been opened under the scheme across the country as of November 2024.

–IANS

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Gurugram, March 8 (IANS) Commemorating the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Gurugram Metropolitan City Bus Limited (GMCBL) introduced ‘Pink Buses’ for female passengers here in Gurugram on Saturday.

These two Gurugaman buses have been made operational on two key routes wherein a heavy volume of lady passengers were noticed. The two routes include route 215B (Gurugram Bus Stand to Dundahera) and route 116E (Huda City Center to Gurugram Railway Station).

The Pink Buses were flagged off by Chief Executive Officer, GMCBL, Vishwajeet Chaudhary and Joint CEO, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Suman Bhankar.

“These pink buses which are exclusively ‘women-only’ buses represent a step towards empowering women with safer mobility options, reinforcing the Haryana government’s commitment to gender-inclusive urban infrastructure for women empowerment,” said the CEO of GMCBL.

The buses have started plying on the two routes and will cater dedicatedly to the women passenger base which comprises both working women and students. Lady conductors will also be deployed in these Pink Buses.

Presently, GMCBL operates 150 buses in Gurugram which ply on 26 routes in the city. Under the PM e-seva scheme, 200 new electric buses will be added to the existing GMCBL fleet to further strengthen the city bus services in Gurugram for the benefit of the public at large.

Meanwhile, the officials said the GMCBL has outlined a plan to increase its bus fleet to 1,000 buses and construct 10 depots across the city over the next six years to strengthen the public transport network.

The GMCBL was established in August 2018 with an initial goal of operating 500 buses by 2021-2022, the fleet currently stands at only 208 buses. Of these, 50 were diverted to Faridabad, leaving only 150 buses for Gurugram’s 21 routes.

–IANS

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Ranchi, April 28 (IANS) The Jharkhand High Court on Monday stayed the state government’s order removing Dr Raj Kumar as the Director of the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, with immediate effect.

The court observed that the manner in which Dr Raj Kumar was removed was legally untenable, stating that a stigmatic order could not be issued without following due process.

On April 17, Jharkhand Health Minister and RIMS Governing Council Chairman Irfan Ansari issued an order relieving Dr Raj Kumar from his post.

The government order cited alleged non-compliance with directives issued by the Council of Ministers, the Governing Council, and the Health Department, and described his service as Director as unsatisfactory.

Referring to the RIMS manual, the government order stated that Dr Raj Kumar was being removed with immediate effect, with three months’ salary and allowances. It also mentioned that the decision had the approval of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

Dr Raj Kumar challenged the removal in the High Court. In a strongly worded reaction, he termed the move “autocratic” and said he was taken by surprise.

Hearing the petition on Monday, Justice Deepak Roshan stayed the government’s order and issued notices to the state government and other parties, seeking replies through affidavits.

The court remarked that proper procedure must be followed for such removal, emphasising that no individual can be dismissed in a stigmatising manner without being heard.

The next hearing is scheduled for May 6.

The sudden removal of Dr Raj Kumar from the post of RIMS Director had sparked a major political controversy in Jharkhand.

Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, Babulal Marandi, alleged that Dr Raj Kumar was ousted for refusing to clear payments of several crores of rupees to private diagnostic centres under pressure from the Health Minister and officials.

Dr Raj Kumar was appointed RIMS Director on January 31, 2024. Prior to that, he served as a professor in the Department of Neurology at Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow.

–IANS

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