In a surprising turn of events, Uttarakhand witnessed a historical feat today. 20 year old Srishti Goswami, from Haridwar is the Chief Minister for a day, marking the National Girl Child Day on January 24.
Goswami, a student of B.Sc Agriculture at a Roorkee-based Institution, was chosen for the honour after she was elected Chief Minister in a mock ‘Bal Vidhan Sabha’ (Children’s State Assembly) in a symbolic event organised by the State Commission in 2018. It was conducted for the protection of child rights and to help the children understand the democratic system.
The Uttarakhand Child Protection Commission confirmed that Srishti, a resident of Daulatpur village in Haridwar district, will review schemes run by various departments. She will also go through various schemes run by the state government during Uttarakhand Bal Vidhan Sabha that will be held from 12 noon to 3 pm. Different state departments will give their detailed presentations before her.
Addressing the media, Goswami’s elated parents said, “Today we feel very proud, every daughter can achieve a milestone, we just need to support them. We want to thank the government a lot for considering our daughter worthy of this.”
“Never stop supporting your daughters. In today’s time daughters can achieve everything. This should be an example for everyone. If she can achieve this milestone, every other daughter is capable of doing so. We are thankful to Trivendra Singh Rawat for giving Srishti this opportunity”, Praveen Puri, Srishti’s father, told ANI.
In a series of tweets with regard to National Girl Child Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Today is also a day to specially appreciate all those working towards empowering the girl child and ensuring she leads a life of dignity and opportunity.”