The Narendra Modi government’s decision to do away with the Planning Commission and start a NITI Ayog had put the fate of a pioneering institution with over 2 lakh grassroots women members in a tizzy. The fate of the Mahila Samakhya programme, Bihar’s first and most effective movement for women’s empowerment linked to the state’s primary education programme hung on the centre’s decision. Would funds be released, or would they have to wind up? the grapevine has it that after a lot of see-sawing, the present dispensation in Delhi has decided to fund the programme till March 27.

Though there’s no official documents received yet, the State Office of the Bihar Mahila Samakhya Society is looking up.

BMSS State Project Coordinator Keerti has outlined a strategy to modernize and introduce more professional systems into the running of the society. The success of the BMSS are the several women’s federations that have grown from scratch over the two decades of its existence. This year some of these women’s federations will be going it on their own, as Mahila Samakhya begins its phase out from the older districts, and takes on new challenges in others.

Watch this space for more updates!

  Bihar, Bihar mahila samakhya society