Mission Shakti initiatives take centerstage at Amity University  

Echoing and following UP Government’s Operation "Mission Shakti" in the entire state for the Safety and Honour of Women & Girls, a plethora of activities were conducted by Amity University Uttar Pradesh (AUUP) to educate students and pledge their participation. Oath taking ceremonies were also organized for parents and students on ensuring security of girls. An array of experts across domains educated, motivated and informed students to raise their voice against any kind of injustice, harassment & be aware of their rights to safeguard themselves.  
 
Amity school of Physical Education and Sports Sciences began university’s initiatives by organizing a talk on “Nari Shakti” by Prof. Dr. Balvinder Shukla, Vice-Chancellor, AUUP who shared the importance of Naari Shakti. She further elaborated over the role of women as Saraswati, Laxmi, and Durga and spoke about the importance of guiding children, both boys and girls, to respect women. Dr. Shukla stressed on the importance of both men and women having equal value and rights in the society.  
 
Prof. Dr. Kalpana Sharma, Director - Amity School of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Director of Sports, AUUP acknowledged the importance of Mission Shakti launched by UP government and launched a poster to mark the occasion. She appreciated the lifestyle management practices followed by Amity University to bring positive state of mental and physical health. This talk was followed by a workshop on “Stress and Lifestyle Management” by Dr. Manjulata S. Sukhija, CMO (NFSG) in Directorate of Ayush (H).   
 
A series of week-long Online Self-Defense Sessions were also organized for both Boys and Girl students teaching basic blocks and self-defense techniques that saw enthusiastic participation from students and faculty members. 
   
Amity Law School took the initiative further and organized a training workshop cum webinar ‘Virangana’ with a host of experts to deliberate on Women Empowerment, focusing on the issues of crimes related to women and discrimination faced by women in various stages and fields of life. The session saw the presence of Hon. Justice Subodh Shah (Gujarat High Court) (Retd.) who explained various legislative and constitutional provisions that grant equality to women and grant power to the respective States to make various legislative reforms to ensure equality of women and their safety.   
Adv. Shruti Bist (Advocate, Supreme Court and President, National President Cyber Council India, WICCI) talked about the cyber-crimes and various provisions and procedures that are present to report the cyber-crime while Ms. Arpita Rai  (President, Pradhan Mantri Jan Kalyankaari Yojanna, Mumbai) shared how she is working to get self-defense included as a part of school curriculum. Ms. Rachna Gandhi (Advocate, Supreme Court and President, Cyber Security Council, Uttar Pradesh) elaborated the process of reporting cybercrime and stated that silence causes graver injustice and therefore women should report crimes.   
 
Dr. Indira Mishra (President, Education Reforms for Women Justice and Social Welfare, New Delhi) stated that the change should begin within ourselves to make this world a comfortable and safer place for women surrounding us while Ms. Sukanya Acharya (Corporate Lawyer, Founder, Juris Emeralds Law Office and Vice President, National Cyber Security Council) talked about the mission Shakti campaign run by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, for the empowerment of women.   
 
A webinar on "Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace" was conducted by Amity Business School with an aim to emphasize on the dignity of women and to inculcate the sense of security among female students. The session also focused on informing students about the legal implications of Law pertaining to sexual harassment at the workplace and suggest the practical ways & means for women safety at workplace.    
 
Taking the thought further, a National Webinar On “Harassment of Women in Digital Space” was jointly organized by Amity Law School, Noida and National Commission for Women. The growing reach of the Internet, ICTs and the wide diffusion of social media have presented new opportunities and enabled various efforts to address Violence Against Women (VAW). However, they are also being used as tools to inflict harm on women and Cyber-VAW is emerging as a global problem with serious implications for societies and economies around the world.  
 
Smt. Chandramukhi Devi, Member, National Commission of Women stated that the present times belong to women and it is the need of the hour to change the thought of society towards them. Mr. Kiran Sivakumar, Superintendent of Police, Central Bureau of Investigation, Government of India called for recognising the emerging forms of crimes and categorizing them to further act on them. Dr. Pavan Duggal, Advocate, Supreme Court of India; Founder & Owner Pavan Duggal Associates; Conference Director, International Conference on Cyberlaw, Cybercrime & Cybersecurity averred how the pandemic with its increasing reliance on technology has also added on to the vulnerability of women and children against cyber harassment.  
 
Amity Food and Agriculture Organization also organized an online panel discussion "Mission Shakti: against all odds". Mrs Abha Singh, Advocate Bombay High Court and Socialist shared all the IPCs which women can use and need to know. IPS Neera Rawat ADG Women Powerline shared insights on Government policies, enforcement and other safety related issues. She also called for initiating a change from every home to sensitize boys and men & teach them how to behave with women. Dr Manpreet Bajaj, CEO Live Organic, advised students to not be deterred by problems and give up their dreams while Dr Kamini Singh Director JVKS Agrotec Pvt Ltd stated how women in farming was not accepted very well but over a period this perception has changed. Srimati Rajkumari Devi popular known as Kisan Chachi shared her arduous journey and asked students to keep marching towards their goals.   
 
Adding on to the wide spectrum of issues explored, Amity Institute of Public Policy (AIPP) organized Documentary with discussion on the topic “Searching for Saraswati: How a Mythical Indian River Is Fueling Hindu Nationalism”. A consensus was reached that the crimes against women need to be talked and spoken upon which will also bring a behavioral change in the society.   
 
Amity School of Insurance, Banking & Actuarial Science also organized a guest lecture on "Women Empowerment" by BK Sangeeta of Brahma Kumaris Rajyoga Centre with an aim to enlighten students & ensuring security and honour for females. Further a lecture by Amity Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology with Dr. Mary Mohan Kumar, Senior Scientist (Retd.), IGCAR, Dept. of Atomic Energy, Kalpakkam and Dr. Arifa K.C., Assistant Professor, Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Government Medical College, (Academy of Medical Sciences), Kannur.