'Insurance for all key to social security': PM Modi at Bima Sakhi Yojana launch in Panipat

Panipat, Dec 9 (IANS) Saying ‘insurance for all’ is a key to social security and crucial to eradicate poverty, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched the ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’ from this city in Haryana from where he launched ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ on January 22, 2015.

The ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’ initiative by the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) aims to empower women aged 18-70 years, who have completed Class X. This initiative reflects the government’s commitment to fostering gender equality and empowering women in various sectors.

As part of the event, the Prime Minister distributed appointment certificates to prospective Bima Sakhis, under the ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’ under which the goal is to provide employment opportunities to two lakh women.

Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi said, “The significance of the ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’ is not only in the income they generate but also in its contribution to the development of our country. ‘Insurance for all’ is a key to social security and crucial to eradicate poverty.”

PM Modi added: “Our government has taken unprecedented steps for women empowerment in the past 10 years. Today, I am very happy to launch the Bima Sakhi Yojana and inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of development projects in Panipat.”

He said: “Today India is taking another strong step towards women's empowerment. Today is a special day for many other reasons. Today is the 9th, the number 9 is considered very auspicious in the scriptures. The number 9 is associated with the nine powers of Nav Durga. The first meeting of the constituent Assembly was held on December 9. Today, when the country is celebrating 75 years of the Constitution, this date of December 9 inspires us to make equality and development all-encompassing.”

Praising the BJP government in the state led by Nayab Singh Saini, he said that the people of Haryana are patriots who have adopted the mantra of ‘Ek hain to safe hain’ (When we are united, we are safe) which has become an example for the rest of the country.

“A few years ago, I had the privilege of starting the ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ campaign from Panipat. It had a positive impact not only in Haryana but in the entire country. Now, after 10 years, ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’ has been started for sisters and daughters from this land of Panipat. Our Panipat has become a symbol of women's power,” the Prime Minister said.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “In Haryana, PM Modi has worked for women enrollment in combat roles in the armed forces. Due to this, women are handling rifles and commanding submarines. Women have been enrolled in army schools since 2022. Thanks to PM’s efforts.”

She said that from 2017-18 to 2023, the number of women agents has increased significantly, adding that in 2017, there were six lakh women agents, and this number has grown to 7.45 lakh.

She said that however, among every 100 LIC agents, only 28 are women, indicating that out of 2,800 agents, only 28 are women.

“I believe this initiative, also known as the Women Career Agent Program, is a significant step toward women’s empowerment. As part of this program, 25,000 women will be appointed as 'Bima Sakhi' by PM Modi,” she added.

Simultaneously, PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the main campus of Maharana Pratap Horticultural University in Karnal. The main campus 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.