The grand inauguration ceremony of the 'Girl Empowerment Mission (GEM) 2026' was held at NTPC Jhankor-Gandhar on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. This initiative is considered a significant step towards empowering girls in rural areas through education, self-confidence, and life skills, preparing them for the future.
The program commenced with the traditional lighting of lamps. Selected GEM girls from previous years shared their experiences, and their inspiring stories infused enthusiasm and confidence in the new participants. A puppet show was also organized for the entertainment and encouragement of the girls.
While addressing the ceremony, Rautela mentioned that every child has immense talent that can be nurtured with the right environment and opportunities. He stated that this month-long residential workshop serves as a platform for girls to discover themselves and recognize their abilities and interests. He emphasized that mere bookish knowledge is not enough; life skills, self-confidence, and courage are equally essential for success.
He inspired the girls by saying that circumstances do not define their identity, but their self-confidence is their true identity. Rautela acknowledged that feeling scared at the beginning is natural, but with continuous effort and determination, every challenge can be overcome. He described this initiative not just as a CSR activity but as a true commitment of NTPC to society.
He also appealed to parents to provide full support and freedom to the girls during the workshop. The 'Girl Empowerment Mission 2026' is not just a training program but a powerful platform to make daughters self-reliant, confident, and capable citizens. It is noteworthy that under the Government of India's 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme, NTPC initiated this initiative in 2021 with the Vindhyachal, Singrauli, and Rihand projects.
Since 2021, the Jhankor-Gandhar project has also been continuously working towards the empowerment of daughters by joining this mission. This year, 27 girls took part in the workshop, taking their first strong step towards a bright future. So far, more than 125 girls from villages around NTPC Jhankor have received training through this program, moving forward with confidence and new energy.
Under this mission, a month-long residential workshop is organized for girls aged 10 to 12 years in the 5th grade from villages around the project area. This workshop focuses on the overall development of girls through academic strengthening in subjects like Hindi, English, and Mathematics, as well as activities such as sports, drawing, arts and crafts, and self-defense.
The top four girls who perform excellently in the program are provided free education up to 12th grade at Bal Bharati Public School, Jhankor, with all expenses covered by NTPC. This initiative is also instilling confidence in daughters to realize their dreams along with education.
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