India has more female pilots than any other western nation: Union minister Scindia
Speaking at an event in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, where Scindia announced the expansion of the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.
Women make up 15% of India’s pilots, more than any western nation, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Saturday, highlighting the country’s global lead in female representation in aviation.
“India has the highest proportion of women pilots in the world, surpassing the United States and Europe,” he said at an event in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, where he announced the expansion of the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana and laid the foundation stone of a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra.
“The Modi government has said that women have to be made the first priority. To take the country forward, the empowerment of women will do that for us,” Scindia said, urging parents to open accounts under Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana scheme.
Launched in 2015 under the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is a small savings scheme in India designed to encourage parents to save for the future education and marriage expenses of their girl child. According to the minister, more than ₹190 crore have been deposited in over 34,000 accounts opened under the scheme in Morena alone. Across Madhya Pradesh, the number stands at 2.8 million accounts and over ₹7,300 crore deposited. Nationwide, the scheme has crossed 30 million accounts, with deposits of more than ₹2.1 lakh crore.
“I have personally contributed to the accounts of thousands of little daughters in Ashoknagar, Shivpuri, and Guna. My daughters, this account is the seed of self-reliance; move forward, carve your own path, and become an inspiration for the coming generations,” he said in a post on X.
On the postal infrastructure front, Scindia announced that Morena will now have its own Passport Seva Kendra, sparing residents the need to travel to Gwalior, Guna, or Bhopal. The centre will also benefit adjoining districts of Sheopur as well as border areas of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, and will provide 40 additional appointment slots daily.
Calling it a “symbol of convenience and empowerment for future generations,” Scindia said the new facility is part of the Modi government’s push to bring essential services closer to people.
