President launches ‘herSTART’ platform for women entrepreneurs in Gujarat
President Droupadi Murmu also inaugurated/laid the foundation stone for various projects related to education and tribal development in Gujarat
President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday launched ‘herSTART’, an initiative of the Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC) aimed at supporting women-led startups.
The ‘herSTART’ platform will boost innovation and start-up efforts of women entrepreneurs and also help them connect with various government and private enterprises, according to a government release. The platform will include a digital platform to provide resources and training modules free of cost to aspiring women entrepreneurs, a digital community for them, and a digital publication to spread their success stories.
The President, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat starting Monday, virtually laid the foundation stone and dedicated 11 educational development projects worth ₹164 crore. The inclusive development model of Gujarat is becoming a guide for other states of the country today, she said and urged states to adopt each other’s development model and work in the direction of building a developed nation.
Murmu said that many are getting employment through 450 startup projects operational in Gujarat University. Of these, 125 startups specially inspired by entrepreneurial women are giving a new direction to the entrepreneurship and innovative ideas in women, she added.
India has moved from 81st position to 40th position in the Global Innovation Index (GII) of 2022 as a result of the startup program started across the country with the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the President said in her address.
She said that the school drop out rate among the students of the tribal community has come down since Vanabandhu Kalyan Yojana, Eklavya Model Residential School, Kanya Nivasi Shala have become functional in the state.
The National Education Policy-2020 is an initiative towards making India a super power. She lauded various efforts made by Gujarat in the field of primary and higher education in the last two decades and the results obtained. She lauded the state on the reduction in the drop out rate, as well as the real-time monitoring of the education system of more than 55,000 schools in the state by the Vidya Review Centre. The President also appreciated a project of upgrading the infrastructure of about 20,000 schools of the state through Mission School of Excellence.
She said that Gujarat is the first state in the country to form the Garima Cell with the aim of giving new energy and direction to the higher education system of the state.