Women are excelling in various fields but there are many who still face social stereotypes
New Delhi (PTI): Women are excelling in various fields but there are many who still face social stereotypes, economic inequalities and psychological barriers, President Droupadi Murmu said on Sunday, giving a call for making a collective effort to address the issue with sensitivity.
Addressing the valedictory session of a national convention here at Vigyan Bhavan, Murmu said women are equal to or even superior to men in many dimensions like service, dedication, nationalism, bravery, patience and talent.
"In every university I visit, I see more daughters receive gold medals. This is proof that given the opportunity, daughters can excel. However, we must also acknowledge the harsh reality that even today, many women face social stereotypes, economic inequalities, and psychological barriers," she said.
"If there are good things in society, we are creating them. We also have a responsibility to address and eliminate the bad. Therefore, I believe we should make more efforts to address these issues," the President said, adding that organisations like the Rashtriya Sevika Samiti can make a decisive contribution in this direction.
Women have historically been accorded respect and prominence in Indian traditions, the President said, citing examples such as expressions "Radha-Krishna" and "Sita-Ram", where women are placed first as a mark of respect.
The convention, titled "Bharati - Nari to Narayani" was organised by the Bharatiya Vidvat Parishad in association with the Rashtra Sevika Samiti and Sharanya here at Vigyan Bhavan.
The Rashtra Sevika Samiti, founded in 1936, functions as a women's organisation parallel to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for men.
Appreciating the organisers of the event, the President said the Bharatiya Vidvat Parishat is making sincere efforts to keep India's knowledge-traditions, classical thought and scientific discourse alive.
Such conferences help preserve and disseminate the country's rich legacy in fields like philosophy, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, literature and arts, she said.
Murmu also emphasised the importance of promoting Indian languages and traditional knowledge systems for building an Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) and developed India.
"By giving priority to Indian languages and India's scientific traditions, a cultural foundation is being provided for building an Atmanirbhar and developed India. All institutions involved in such initiatives should move forward with mutual coordination and cooperation," she said.
Extending greetings on International Women's Day, the President urged people to remember inspiring examples of women's power and translate their ideals into action in contemporary life.
Referring to historical figures, she said the courage and wisdom of women such as Rani Durgavati, Jijabai, Kittur Chennamma, Rani Lakshmibai, Jhalkari Bai and Ahilyabai Holkar have served as a source of inspiration for society.
"We should study them not merely as history written in books or as statues placed somewhere, but we must ask ourselves how much we have implemented their ideals in our own lives and how much inspiration we have given to the next generation to follow the same path," she said.
Murmu also noted that celebrations were being held across the country to mark 150 years of the composition of the national song 'Vande Mataram' and described it as a tribute to the power of motherhood and feminine strength.
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Rupee crashes 46 paise to 92.28 against US dollar in early trade, nears all-time low
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee plummeted 46 paise to near its all-time intra-day low of 92.28 against the US dollar in early trade on Monday as global crude oil prices shot up and the greenback strengthened amid the worsening situation in the Middle East.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by a staggering 25.68 per cent at USD 116.5 per barrel in futures trade as the war between US-Israel and Iran intensified.
A big surge in FII outflows and a crash at the domestic equity market in morning trade put further pressure in the local unit, forex traders said.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 92.22 against the US dollar before declining further to 92.28, down 46 paise from its previous close. The rupee had hit an all-time intra-day low of 92.35 on March 4.
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The rupee depreciated 18 paise against the US dollar on Friday to close at 91.82 against the American currency.
"The rupee will remain vulnerable to the rising oil prices which have risen by more than 28 per cent since the last closure on Friday. Asian currencies were also lower on Monday," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
Rupee might touch 93.00 if oil remains above USD 100 in the coming trading sessions, he added.
The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.66 per cent higher at 99.64.
On the domestic equity market front, the Sensex crashed 2,345.89 points to 76,573.01 in early trade, while Nifty tumbled 708.75 points to 23,741.70.
Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 6,030.38 crore on a net basis on Friday, according to exchange data.
Meanwhile, India's forex reserves jumped USD 4.885 billion to an all-time high of USD 728.494 billion during the week ended February 27, the Reserve Bank said on Friday.
