India, Feb. 5 -- Education can be a powerful catalyst for change, and when combined with vocational training, it has the potential to become revolutionary. In a country such as ours, where nearly 30% of girls from underserved communities do not have access or means to quality education (Right to Education Forum and Centre for Budget Policy Studies, 2022), this combination offers much-needed hope and a practical path towards empowerment. Addressing these disparities is not merely a moral imperative for us but a real necessity for the nation's progress.

The obstacles to girls' education in India are systemic and culturally rooted in gender norms. The consequences are very visible, with a female literacy rate of 77% compared to 84.7% for ma...