Beyond degrees: A principal’s mission to empower girls

Gurugram: For Dr Indu Rao, empowering girls is not an initiative she took up after becoming a principal but a thread running through her entire career in higher education

Gurugram: For Dr Indu Rao, empowering girls is not an initiative she took up after becoming a principal but a thread running through her entire career in higher education.

For Dr Indu Rao, empowering girls is a thread running through her entire career in higher education (HT)

Today, as the principal of three government girls’ colleges, Dr Rao is trying to redefine what a college education should mean for a young woman — moving it beyond classrooms, examinations and degrees to skills, confidence, employability and the ability to make independent choices.

Her philosophy is “educate a girl, educate a family.” “Since the first day of my career, I have been working for girls’ employment and empowerment. I have always believed that educating a girl has an impact far beyond her own life. When a girl becomes educated, confident and independent, the entire family benefits. That is why my focus has always been to give my students the education and skills they need to stand on their own feet,” she said.

Students are being encouraged to learn skills that can help them navigate life and employment, including driving, computer education, communication and soft skills, grooming, personality development, painting, farming and entrepreneurship. “I want my girls to be confident and independent. A degree is important, but it is not enough. A girl should know how to communicate, how to manage things, how to use technology and, if she wants, how to start something of her own. We are therefore trying to create opportunities where they learn by doing,” she said.

One of the most distinctive initiatives under her leadership is the idea of students as entrepreneurs. Instead of restricting entrepreneurship to a classroom subject, students gain practical exposure by running a college canteen, boutique, salon and organic farm. The experience introduces them to responsibility, teamwork, management and the basics of running an enterprise.

Rao’s own upbringing has strongly influenced this approach. Born on July 15, 1970, she grew up in Haryana as the daughter of a Haryana Civil Services officer. She is one of four sisters, and three of them went on to become principals in Haryana higher education, while her younger sister is a doctor at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

She attributes much of their confidence and independence to their mother. “My mother made all four of us smart, independent and fiery. She taught us to be confident, to take our own decisions and not to be afraid of anything,” Rao says.

Alongside skill development, Rao has worked to expand academic opportunities through programmes such as BCA, BA Economics (Honours), BA English (Honours), BSc Physical Sciences, MCom and MA Economics. Smart classrooms equipped with audio-video podiums and digital initiatives such as the e-handbook, e-magazine and e-annual report have added a technology-led dimension to learning.

She has also sought to make the campus itself part of the educational experience. More than 1,800 trees have been planted in the urban jungle, alongside a botanical garden, carbon garden and green ground.

For Rao, however, empowerment also means creating an environment where girls feel emotionally and physically supported. A cell conducts workshops on emotional well-being and resilience, while sports facilities encourage teamwork and leadership. A creche, dispensary and proposed hostel further strengthen the support system for students and staff.