Shimla: ‘Imperative for women to seize opportunities in drone tech, AI’

Shimla, May 23

The Centre for Comparative Public Law and the Centre for Child and Women Studies, Himachal Pradesh National Law University, in association with the National Commission for Women, New Delhi, conducted a one-day capacity building programme on the theme ‘Rise and Lead: Young Women Pioneering in Technology, Business and Public Life’ yesterday.

The event was attended by 300 participants — including undergraduate, post-graduate students and research scholars.

The presidential address for the event was delivered by HPNLU Vice-Chancellor (officiating) Chanchal Kumar Singh.

The VC emphasised the importance of empowering young women through reviving feminist principles in legal, economic and political systems.

At the event, National Commission of Women Member Secretary Meenakshi Negi said while the right to vote was denied to women in western society for a long time, the Indian Republic recognised women’s entitlement at the dawn of Indian republican aspirations.

“There is no deficit of law and regulatory mechanisms in India. It is the deficit of enforcement which has to be taken care of for empowering women,” she said.

School of Computing and Electrical Engineering (SCEE), Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi, Assistant Professor Parimala Kancharla addressed the audience in the first technical session on “Tech Horizons: Navigating Emerging Opportunities in AI, Drone Technology”. During the session, she highlighted the significance of women’s participation in emerging fields, especially in this era of technological advancement.

She said it was crucial for women to seize opportunities in emerging areas like AI and drone technology, and embrace innovation to pave the way for a brighter future.

Sanjeev Sharma of the Institute of Management Studies, Panjab University, addressed the audience in the second technical session on “Women in Decision Making: Women Leading in Public Life”, presenting data that demonstrated that the situation of women was improving, and government policies were playing an instrumental role in women’s progress and development.

Women needed to take a giant leap in the leadership of the country, he said.

SJVN Former Managing Director Geeta Kapoor, in her address in third technical session on “Women in Corporate Arena”, highlighted challenges faced by women in the corporate arena. She shared her personal experiences in leadership roles, asserting that self-belief was key for the transformation of women.