Patriarchy didn't stop Indira from becoming PM: Sitharaman

November 09, 2024 17:07

If patriarchy stopped women from achieving what they want in India, how come Indira Gandhi made it as prime minister, asked Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

She met the students of CMS Business School in Bengaluru on Saturday and discussed various measures undertaken by the Centre to support innovation as well as the government schemes available for young people, including the 1 crore internships for the unemployable youth' in the age group of 21 to 24 years old.

Replying to a question about women empowerment, Sitharaman insisted that patriarchy is a concept invented by the Left.

"Don't get carried away by fantastic jargons. If you stand up for yourself and speak logically, patriarchy will not stop you from achieving your dreams," she advised the women in the audience.

However, she admitted that women are not facilitated adequately and that more facilitation is needed.

Answering a question about the prospects of innovators in India, the finance minister said the Modi government is creating an environment that is conducive to innovators.

"We do not just support innovation by bringing out policies," she said, adding that the Indian government is doing its best to ensure that such innovations find markets too.

As an example, she cited the support mechanism that is available for MSMEs. According to her, they are given priority in government procurements.

Sitharaman said that 40 per cent of all government procurements is coming from MSMEs. "That is why we have more than 2 lakh startups today in India and more than 130 have become unicorns. The opportunity is immense but is not fully utilised," she said.

It is the same with digital banking transformation that is happening in India, she added. -- PTI

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