Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches LIC’s ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’ in Panipat, Haryana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched the ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’ of Life Insurance Corporation, in line with his commitment to women empowerment and financial inclusion, in Panipat, Haryana. During the occasion, he also laid the foundation stone of the Main campus of Maharana Pratap Horticultural University, Karnal. Addressing the gathering, Shri Modi said that today India was taking another strong step towards women empowerment. He added that today being the 9th day of the month was special as the number 9 was considered auspicious in our scriptures and was associated with the nine forms of Nav Durga, worshipped during the Navratri. He remarked that today is also a day of worship of Nari Shakti.

The Prime Minister recollected that it was on 9th December, when the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly was held and today when the country was celebrating 75 years of the Constitution, the date inspires us to ensure equality and holistic development.

Lauding Haryana as a great land that gave the world the knowledge of ethics and religion, Shri Modi was pleased that at this time, the International Gita Jayanti Mahotsav was also being held in Kurukshetra. He paid respects to the land of Gita and greeted all the patriotic people of Haryana. Shri Modi lauded the people of Haryana for adopting the mantra of 'Ek hain to Safe hain', which had become an example for the entire country.

Expressing his unflinching relationship and attachment with Haryana, the Prime Minister thanked the people for electing them to power for the third time in a row. He added that the newly formed state Government was being praised from all quarters despite being formed recently. He further added that the country has witnessed the way thousands of youths have got permanent jobs here without corruption after the formation of the government. Thanking the women of Haryana, Shri Modi remarked that he had launched the Bima Sakhi scheme, which provides employment to the women of the country and congratulated all for the same.

Recounting his privilege of launching the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign from Panipat, a few years ago, the Prime Minister underlined that it had a positive impact in Haryana as well as the entire country. He added that in Haryana alone, the lives of thousands of daughters were saved in the last decade. Shri Modi remarked that now after a decade, the Bima Sakhi Yojana for sisters and daughters was being launched from this very land of Panipat. He added that Panipat had become a symbol of women's power.

Highlighting that India was treading forward with the resolution of Viksit Bharat by 2047, Shri Modi said that from 1947 till today, the energy of every class and region has taken India to this height. He added that however, to achieve the resolution of a developed India by 2047, India needs many new sources of energy. North-East India being one such source, Shri Modi said Nari Shakti of India was another important source of energy in the form of women self-help groups, insurance sakhi, bank sakhi, agriculture sakhi which would bolster the resolution of developed India.

The ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’ initiative of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is designed to empower women aged 18-70 years, who are Class X pass. They will receive specialized training and a stipend for the first three years to promote financial literacy and insurance awareness. After training, they can serve as LIC agents and the graduate Bima Sakhis would have the opportunity to qualify for being considered for Development Officer roles in LIC.

The Main campus of Maharana Pratap Horticultural University, Karnal and six regional research stations, spread over 495 acres, will be established at a cost of over Rs 700 crore. The University will have one College of Horticulture for Graduate and Post-Graduate studies and five schools covering 10 horticulture disciplines. It will work towards crop diversification and world-class research for the development of horticulture technologies.