International Women’s Day 2022: AICTE to confer Lilavati Awards tomorrow

NEW DELHI: On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2022 tomorrow, March 8, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) will confer second Lilavati Awards to celebrate women empowerment. Union minister for women and child development Smriti Irani will address the event virtually.

The award is named after the great mathematician Lilavati and this year 27 teams including faculty and non-faculty members and students will be getting the award for their contribution in eight fields of work.

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The Lilavati Awards would be given away in the following areas of work:

• Women and Adolescent Health - Issues related to nutrition, pre and post-natal complications, maternal mortality, breast, ovarian and cervical cancer, pregnancy issues, depression and anxiety, child care, etc.
• Self Defence - Training, awareness programmes for safety measures, Girl child safety, domestic violence, workplace harassment, confidence-building programs, etc.
• Environment, Sanitation and Hygiene - Menstrual hygiene, home and environment hygiene, etc.
• Literacy and Life Skills - Basic education, digital literacy, awareness against taboos, etc.
• Women Entrepreneurship - Financial safety, business opportunities, govt. schemes, credit, etc.
• Legal Awareness- Women rights & duties, gender equality in society and workplace.
• Technology for Women- Technology integration, device, data availability and access, prevention of cyber crimes etc.
• Women Innovators (Rural, Urban)- Any Innovation felicitating access, equity, equality, and affordability for women.

Commenting on the Lilavati Awards, AICTE Chairman, Professor Anil Sahasrabudhe, said: “We were absolutely overwhelmed with the response that we got for the Lilavati Awards. More than 500 teams participated and we had a tough time selecting the 27 best teams. The award intends to create an ambiance of ‘equality and fairness for women in all institutions regulated by AICTE.”

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“By this initiative, all the stakeholders (especially the girl students) would get a distinctive opportunity to work on and present a solution to the prevalent issues of gender discrimination, such as illiteracy, malnutrition, unemployment, economic and digital disparities, maternal mortality, human rights, etc. Also, teams comprising mainly of female members can showcase their contributions/successful efforts towards creating an all-inclusive, gender-sensitive, and empowering ecosystem,” it said.