Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary Inaugurates Three Schemes to Empower Girls and Women on Raksha Bandhan

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister (CM) Samrat Choudhary on August 26, 2026 inaugurated three major initiatives aimed at strengthening the safety, education, empowerment and self-reliance of the state’s daughters and sisters on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. At a programme held at Gyan Bhawan in Patna, Samrat Choudhary inaugurated and flagged off 4,700 two-wheelers for women police personnel deployed under Police Didi (Abhaya Brigade). Women police personnel of the Abhaya Brigade also tied a rakhi on the Chief Minister on the occasion.

The Chief Minister said the occasion further strengthened the government’s commitment to the safety and dignity of girls and women.

While inaugurating the 4,700 scooters and motorcycles for the Police Didi (Abhaya Brigade), Samrat Choudhary said the vehicles would help women police personnel ensure the safety and protection of school and college-going girls and carry out other women-safety-related duties more effectively.

He said Bihar had around 40,000 women police personnel, adding that no other state in the country had such a large number of women in its police force.

The Chief Minister said several important schemes concerning women were being launched on Wednesday. “The increasing participation of women is a reflection of a prosperous Bihar,” he said. The government’s aim was to ensure that women in Bihar used their talent and abilities to help change the state’s future and played a significant role in building a prosperous Bihar.

On the occasion, Samrat Choudhary also launched the Chief Minister’s Girl Child PhD Fellowship. Under the scheme, around 1,000 female students will receive financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per month for four years.

He said providing better opportunities for higher education and research to girls was a priority for the government.

The Chief Minister also launched the Bihar Ki Beti Startup Challenge Scheme. Under the initiative, women entrepreneurs will receive financial assistance ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh to take forward their innovations and businesses. Around 2,100 women will benefit from the scheme, which is expected to promote entrepreneurship, innovation and self-reliance among girls and women.

Samrat Choudhary said women associated with Jeevika were currently contributing Rs 1.36 lakh crore to Bihar’s economy. Around 43 lakh Jeevika women have become Lakhpati Didis, he said. He added that the government aimed to turn another one crore Jeevika women into Lakhpati Didis in the coming years.

Deputy Chief Ministers Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Higher Education and Law Minister Sanjay Singh Tiger, Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Deepak Kumar, Home Department Principal Secretary Pankaj Kumar, Director General of Police Vinay Kumar, Education Department Secretary Rajiv Roushan, Chief Minister’s Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh, ADG (Law and Weaker Sections) K.S. Anupam, District Magistrate Kundan Kumar and Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya K. Sharma, along with other officials from the Home, Higher Education and Education departments and a large number of Police Didis, were present on the occasion.

All Photographs: Aftab Alam Siddiqui