NEP implementation needs to be strengthened to ensure girls reach full potential: Pradhan

NEW DELHI: The implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) needs to be strengthened to ensure girls reach their full potential and women reap benefit, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Wednesday. "Investing in girls and young women goes a long way in building girl capital," the minister said.

"While India has made substantial progress in girls' education, the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 needs to be strengthened to further ensure girls reach their full potential and women benefitted across the country," Pradhan said.

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He made the comments at an event during which a policy brief, titled "Nurturing a Vibrant Girl Capital in India", was launched with recommendations to co-create an enabling environment for girls in India to unleash their full potential.

He emphasised the importance of imparting education in the mother tongue and local language till class 8 and also shed light on the policies undertaken by the government to benefit the girl child. At the event, Ashwajit Singh, Managing Director, IPE Global Limited, said, "While India has made progress in various aspects of gender equality, there is still work to be done to build 'girl capital' in the country...we renew our commitment to advancing SDG Goal 5 and building girl capital by investing in the well-being, education, skills, and opportunities for girls to enable them to become empowered and productive members of society."

The Sustainable Development Goal 5 calls for achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. A panel discussion at the event featured experts from various fields who shared their insights on the challenges and opportunities for building girl capital in India.

With a diverse representation and participation from the government, academia, policy makers, private sector, civil society among others, the session featured steering conversations around building girl capital in India and emphasised the need for continued efforts to ensure they have equal opportunities in education, health, and every aspect of life.