CM Siddaramaiah lauds ICDS as visionary scheme benefiting 40 lakh women, children
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday described the ICDS as a "visionary initiative" aimed at eliminating maternal and child mortality and tackling malnutrition.
He said the scheme currently benefits over 40 lakh women and children through 69,922 anganwadi centres across the state.
Speaking at an event organised by the Department of Women and Child Development, Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens to mark the golden jubilee of the Comprehensive Child Development Scheme in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah called the Integrated Child Development Services scheme a "visionary scheme" of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, according to a press release.
He said the programme was launched in the 1970s, when malnutrition and maternal-child mortality rates were high.
He added that the first anganwadi centre in Karnataka was started in Hosahalli village in T Narasipura taluk and initially operated in 33 taluks. Currently, 69,922 centres are functional across the state.
Siddaramaiah praised anganwadi workers and helpers, saying they serve with dedication and act as a "second mother" to children in their care.
He added that the ICDS programme has significantly reduced infant and maternal mortality, it said.
Highlighting women’s empowerment, the chief minister said economic and social self-reliance for women is crucial for societal progress, noting that inequality and illiteracy among women persist.
"It is encouraging that women are becoming educated. They must achieve 100 per cent literacy and gain rational and scientific knowledge," he said.
He noted that educating one girl benefits the entire family. Under the state’s Shakti scheme, over six crore women have travelled free on government buses. The Gruhalakshmi scheme has provided Rs 2,000 to 1.26 crore female heads of households, it said.
Siddaramaiah added that the government has spent over Rs 1.04 lakh crore on these guarantee schemes to empower women "economically and educationally."
Accusing the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of opposing the state’s guarantee schemes", he said, "Our freedom will be meaningful only when women are empowered."
The chief minister further said Rs 95,000 crore has been allocated for women’s welfare in this year’s budget.
Although ICDS is a central government programme, Siddaramaiah said the state provides additional funding. "If Rs 2,700 comes from the Centre, the state provides Rs 8,500. Karnataka gives the highest honorarium to Anganwadi workers and helpers in the country," he said.
Pointing to the success of the Shakti and Gruhalakshmi schemes, he said Karnataka now ranks first in the country in per capita income.
"After implementing the Shakti scheme, women’s workforce participation increased by 21 per cent in rural areas," he added.
The five guarantees that the Siddaramaiah government promised include 200 units of free power to all households under Gruha Jyoti, Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family under Gruha Lakshmi, and 10 kg of rice free for every member of a BPL household under Anna Bhagya.
The Yuva Nidhi scheme provides Rs 3,000 per month for unemployed graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders, both aged 18-25, for two years. Additionally, free travel for women in public transport buses is offered under the Shakti scheme.
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Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol unveil ‘DDLJ’ sculpture at London’s Leicester Square
London (PTI): Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol huddled under an umbrella on a rainy Thursday in London to unveil their bronze likeness from an iconic ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ scene.
The sculpture of the duo joins Leicester Square’s ‘Scenes in the Square’ trail depicting memorable shots from some of the world’s most famous films, with ‘DDLJ’ marking a Bollywood first and the 30th anniversary of the 1995 box-office hit. It is in this popular London square that SRK as Raj and Kajol as Simran first cross paths unknowingly.
“DDLJ was made with a pure heart. We wanted to tell a story about love, how it can bridge barriers and how the world would be a better place if it had a lot of love in it, and I think this is why 'DDLJ' has had a lasting impact for over 30 years now," said Khan.
“Personally, 'DDLJ' is part of my identity, and it is humbling to see film, and Kajol and me, receiving so much love since it was released,” he said.
He expressed his gratitude to the Heart of London Business Alliance, behind the cinematic trail at Leicester Square, for celebrating ‘DDLJ’ and “immortalising” its lead stars.
“Seeing ‘DDLJ’ become the first Indian film to be honoured in the iconic Scenes in the Square trail is an emotional moment and has brought back so many memories.
"I feel immense pride knowing the film has been embraced around the world, and I want to share this moment with the entire cast and crew of ‘DDLJ’, my friend and director Aditya Chopra and the Yash Raj Films family. This is a moment I will never forget,” added Khan.
Kajol, joined by her daughter Nysa and son Yug, posed with Khan in front of the statue as she braved the rain in a green saree.
“It’s incredible to see ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ continue to receive so much love, even 30 years later. Watching the statue being unveiled in London felt like reliving a piece of our history - a story that has truly travelled across generations,” said Kajol.
“Seeing it find its rightful place in Leicester Square, a location of such enormous significance to ‘DDLJ’, makes this moment even more special. For the film to be honoured in this way in the UK – the first Indian film to receive such recognition – is something that will forever stay in the hearts and minds of all the ‘DDLJ’ fans across the world,” she said.
Their statue, captured in a dancing pose from the hit song ‘Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna’, joins the likes of Harry Potter, Bridget Jones, Mary Poppins, and Batman in what is dubbed as an ever-growing celebration of movie magic in a square packed with multiplex cinema screens.
“When ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, DDLJ, was released 30 years ago, the film became a defining moment for Indian cinema and changed the face of the industry, capturing the hearts of everyone who saw it all over the globe," said Akshaye Widhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films.
“We’re thrilled to be the first Indian film to be represented in ‘Scenes in the Square’. It also marks 30 years of DDLJ, a film that has spread love and joy globally, and shows the cultural impact it has had in UK.
“We are honoured that our superstars and our film are being recognised on the world stage alongside the Hollywood elite, from Gene Kelly to Laurel & Hardy to Harry Potter. This statue will be a great way to express the international appeal of Indian movies and build bridges amongst communities through cinema,” he said.
Since its release in 1995, ‘DDLJ’ has become the longest-running film in Hindi cinema history.
Ros Morgan, Chief Executive at Heart of London Business Alliance, said: “We’re proud to welcome global megastars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol to our Scenes in the Square trail.
"Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a cinematic phenomenon that has shaped generations, and London’s first tribute to Indian cinema honours a story whose magic continues to captivate audiences worldwide.”
It is a particularly special year for the film, with a musical based on the romance playing to packed houses at Manchester’s Opera House earlier this year. Aditya Chopra reprised his role as director of the English language stage production, ‘Come Fall In Love – The DDLJ Musical’, which revolved around the love story of Simran and Roger.
The script was a nod to the original as it followed Simran as a young British Indian woman who finds herself engaged to a family friend in India in an arranged marriage. However, the plot thickens when she falls in love with a British man named Roger.
