New Delhi, 27 August (H.S.): Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday attended the valedictory ceremony of the ‘Prabodhan’ Induction Programme-2026 organised at Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW). A state-of-the-art Lecture Hall Complex of the university was also inaugurated during the programme. Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood was also present on the occasion.

‘Prabodhan’ means awakening, and the induction programme was organised in keeping with this spirit to familiarise new students with the university’s academic environment, institutional culture and the opportunities available to them. Along with academic excellence, the programme placed special emphasis on innovation, leadership, professional development and responsible citizenship.

Special emphasis is being laid in Delhi on connecting daughters with modern technical education, research and innovation and preparing them for future technologies. In this direction, opportunities for education and skill development in new-age fields such as robotics and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and mathematics and computing have been expanded at IGDTUW. Initiatives such as ‘Netra-Nari-Netrutva’ have also been advanced to train female students and women police personnel in emerging areas such as drone technology and surveillance. Under the initiative, 75 surveillance drones have been developed and demonstrated for the Delhi Police.

With funding of around Rs. 8 crore for the Centre of Excellence for Advanced Drone Technology and the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in cybersecurity, new avenues for research and innovation for women are being created in these fields. Strong partnerships with industry are also connecting students with practical learning and employment-oriented skills. With the support of the Bajaj Auto Foundation, around Rs. 9 crore has been provided for the BEST Centre, promoting work in advanced manufacturing, industry-oriented skills and emerging technologies.

The growing capabilities of women in technical education are also reflected in their placement record. During the recent placement season, students of IGDTUW received more than 1,000 placement offers, while the highest package stood at Rs. 1 crore. These achievements reflect the growing confidence and technical proficiency of Delhi’s daughters, as well as their preparedness to meet the evolving requirements of the industry. During the programme, the ‘IGDTUW Times’ booklet was released, compiling key initiatives related to the university’s academic achievements, student activities, research and innovation. Outstanding-performing students and the Best Vice-Chancellor Interns were also felicitated.

The Lieutenant Governor encouraged the students to pursue quality technical education and emerge as innovators and leaders in the future. He appreciated IGDTUW’s efforts to create opportunities for women in technical education and emerging technologies. He said empowering women through technical education was important not only for their personal development but also for strengthening their participation in national development and leadership.

Addressing the students, the Lieutenant Governor said they were not merely preparing for the jobs of the future, but were preparing to shape the future of India. Their generation has the opportunity to develop and shape technologies capable of bringing far-reaching changes to healthcare, education, agriculture, manufacturing, governance and almost every aspect of daily life. Therefore, their responsibility is not limited to using technology; they must become creators and innovators of technology and give a new direction to the country’s future.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister encouraged the students, saying that daughters today are leading in every field, including engineering, technology, science, space and defence. She said students should not restrict themselves to using existing technologies but should become builders of artificial intelligence and new technologies and develop solutions for the future. She called upon them to make curiosity, courage and character their strengths and urged them to become job creators rather than merely job seekers.

The Chief Minister said the Delhi government was working to ensure that every daughter in the national capital gets equal opportunities for quality education, modern infrastructure, skill development and advancement of her talent. She said institutions such as IGDTUW were opening new avenues for women in technical fields and playing an important role in promoting women-led development. Women’s participation will be decisive in building a developed Delhi and a developed India. The growing participation of daughters in emerging fields such as technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, research and entrepreneurship is giving a new direction to the country’s youthful potential.

Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood stressed the growing importance of technology, skills, innovation and practical learning for students’ futures. Appreciating the initiatives being undertaken by IGDTUW in emerging technical fields, he said preparing students in line with the rapidly changing needs of industry and society was the need of the hour.

The Education Minister referred to the surveillance drones developed by students for the Delhi Police and said they demonstrated the ability to transform technology into solutions for real-world social needs. He also called upon students to develop innovative solutions in areas such as women’s safety, healthcare and green technology. The Education Minister said the Delhi government was working towards developing an Education City spread across nearly 160 acres. In addition, a Rs. 400-crore startup and incubation policy has been approved to support students and young entrepreneurs.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar