Women have proved their mettle in every field, says Governor Anandiben Patel: UP Guv

Lucknow, Sept 4 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Thursday said that women have demonstrated their excellence in every sphere, noting that their achievements in education reflect a growing shift towards equality and empowerment.

Addressing the first convocation of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University here, Patel conferred degrees upon 8,507 students, including 6,150 women -- nearly 72 per cent of the total.

Out of the 73 gold and silver medal winners, 60 were women, accounting for 82 per cent of the awardees.

She said the dominance of women in receiving degrees and medals underlined their leadership potential in all fields.

"There was a time when families prioritised their daughters' marriages over education. Despite immense talent, girls faced inequality and a lack of opportunities. Yet they persevered, and today they are succeeding in every sector, including agriculture, where their participation was once negligible," Patel said.

Other attendees, including Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Minister of State for Medical Education Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh, and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Sanjeev Mishra, also congratulated the students.

The Governor distributed kits to 300 anganwadi centres and directed that workers be trained at the university level to provide scientific and practical guidance to pregnant women for safe childbirth and proper child nutrition.

She also called for collaboration between AYUSH, allopathy, and homeopathy departments to prepare a comprehensive medicine kit for anganwadi centres.

Patel emphasised the need for children's awareness of environmental protection and sustainable development, directing district officials and the university vice-chancellor to create an annual calendar for school competitions on topics such as water conservation, cleanliness, dowry prevention, and child marriage.

Highlighting the Prime Minister's concern over childhood obesity, she stressed educating pregnant women about nutrition, mental health, and family support, along with ensuring institutional deliveries.

She also said farmers whose land is acquired for large institutions should have their economic rehabilitation ensured.

The Governor instructed that female medical students' safety be prioritised and that there should be no mid-session fee hikes as many families make significant sacrifices to fund their children's medical education.

She praised the university's infrastructure and asked for a medical college to be established on the campus to strengthen healthcare education further. PTI KIS ANM OZ OZ