Bhubaneswar: Odisha has created its special identity in the country in the field of women empowerment, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here on Monday.
Welcoming the contestants of the second edition of The Governance Challenge 2023, the Chief Minister said that the women of the State have reached the pinnacle of success due to the government incentives.
The State Government has ensured an annual business of Rs 5,000 crore through Mission Shakti, while providing interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh per year to each group, the CM said.
Women empowerment is not a slogan but a revolutionary initiative in Odisha. 33 per cent of the State’s 21 Lok Sabha seats and more than 50 percent of elected women in Panchayats and municipalities have shown the strong commitment of the State Government towards women empowerment.
Today, Odisha has created a unique identity in the country in the field of women empowerment, while it has become a role model for other states. The second edition of ‘The Governance Challenge’ in the State is an example of that. The way in which the students have solved the problem is highly commendable. He expressed hope that the solution of these challenges will have a wide impact.
The TGC- 2023 successfully concluded in Bhubaneswar, with the theme ‘Women Empowerment’. Out of 3100 participants, six teams succeeded to final round. IIM Bangalore topped the competition, followed by Xavier Institute of Management, XIM University, Bhubaneswar and FMS Delhi as 1st & 2nd runners-up.
The TGC- 2023 was anchored by Electronics & Information Technology Department, in collaboration with Samagra Governance and Unstop as the platform partner.
E&IT Principal Secretary Manoj Kumar Mishra congratulated the young talents who participated and won in the competition.
The winners were awarded by former Chief Secretary and Chairman of Western Odisha Development Council Asit Tripathy, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, Commissioner-cum Secretary of Mission Shakti Department Sujata Rout Karthikeyan, Dr. Santosh Matthew, Country Lead Public Policy & Fin, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Founder & CEO Samagra Governance Gaurav Goel.
Attending the TGC-2023 as judge, WODC Chairman Asit Tripathy explained the important role of women and youth in the development of the state. Development Commissioner Anu Garg said the development of the State is possible when the women are aware of the various welfare schemes being implemented in the state and in the country.
Mission Shakti Secretary Sujata Rout Karthikeyan mentioned that today youths are working as agents of change across the country and stated that Mission Shakti Cafe has played a major role in empowering women.
In his address, E&IT Principal Secretary Manoj Mishra said that there is a strong need to find the best talent to tackle the complex challenges of the country.
Referring to the TGC-2023, he said that such competitions make students aware of the real picture of social problems and also give them an opportunity to participate in the development of the country.
The TGC is the country’s first governance case competition for premier business and policy schools. It aims to galvanize the young talent towards the governance ecosystem.