Number of women pilots in India rising, says Scindia; calls it 'revolutionary change'

Morena, Sep 13 (PTI) Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday said India was among the few countries in the world with a rising number of female pilots and asserted "it indicates a revolutionary change".

While developed countries like the US and Europe have relatively fewer women pilots, 15 per cent of pilots in India are women, the Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia said.

He was speaking here at an event after laying the foundation stone of a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra building and distributing passbooks to 38 girls under Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.

Speaking about the upcoming Post Office Passport Seva Kendra, he said residents of Morena and Sheopur districts, as well as those in neighbouring Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, earlier had to travel to Gwalior, Guna, Bhopal or Delhi for passport services.

Now this facility will be available in Morena itself, he said.

"The proposed building, to be constructed at a cost of Rs 30 lakh, would provide passport services to residents of Morena Lok Sabha constituency. The decision to establish Passport Seva Kendras in every parliamentary constituency aims to deliver better services to citizens," he added.

"India has emerged as a driver of global change under the capable and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Schemes such as Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana and Ujjwala Yojana, which has provided cooking gas connections to over 10 crore women, have truly empowered women," he said.

The Union Minister said 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures was strengthening institutional participation.

"This is not just implementation of schemes but a vision to make women the pivot of nation-building," Scindia asserted.

State ministers Karan Singh Verma, Aidal Singh Kansana and Pradhuman Singh Tomar, Morena MP Shivmangal Singh Tomar, mayor Sharda Solanki and district panchayat chairperson Aarti Gurjar were present at the event. PTI COR LAL BNM