Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded the transformative role of rural women in agriculture, referring to the “drone didis” as “sky warriors.” He highlighted how these village women, now trained to operate drones, are spearheading a new technological revolution in the farming sector.
Addressing the 122nd episode of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi said, “Today, there are many women who are working in the fields and also touching the heights of the sky. Yes! You heard it right. Now, village women are flying drones as ‘Drone Didis’, leading a new revolution in agriculture. In Sangareddy district of Telangana, women who once depended on others are now operating drones themselves.”
“Today, these very women are completing the work of spraying pesticides on 50 acres of land with the help of drones—three hours in the morning, two hours in the evening, and the work is done. Neither the scorching sun nor the danger of poisonous chemicals affects them. The villagers have also wholeheartedly accepted this change. Now, these women are not known merely as ‘drone operators’ but as ‘Sky Warriors’,” he added.
Notably, the NaMo Drone Didi scheme is a central government initiative aimed at empowering women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by equipping them with drone technology to provide agricultural services.
Through this scheme, the Government of India is taking a significant step toward advancing agricultural practices while empowering women in rural areas. The initiative aligns with the government’s broader goals of promoting women-led development and integrating technology into traditional sectors like agriculture. The scheme aims to revolutionize farming practices, provide sustainable income sources for SHGs, and inspire a new generation of women entrepreneurs in rural India.
In his monthly radio programme, the Prime Minister also praised the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for climbing the “world’s most difficult” peak, Mount Makalu.
“Just imagine a person climbing snowy mountains, where it is difficult to breathe and every step is life-threatening, yet they are committed to cleaning the area. Our ITBP team did just that. They climbed the world’s most difficult peak, Mount Makalu,” said the Prime Minister.
He further mentioned that the ITBP personnel not only scaled the mountain but also undertook the task of removing garbage lying near the peak.
“They didn’t just climb the mountain; they also brought back more than 150 kg of non-biodegradable waste,” he added.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) successfully scaled Mt. Makalu (8,485 m), the world’s fifth-highest peak, on April 19, marking the first-ever ascent of the peak by any Central Armed Police Force (CAPF).
The summit was part of ITBP’s historic International Mountaineering Expedition to Mt. Makalu and Mt. Annapurna (8,091 m), flagged off from ITBP Headquarters in New Delhi on March 21.
This dual-peak mission, the first in the force’s history, showcased ITBP’s enduring legacy in high-altitude operations. Led by Deputy Commandant Anoop Kumar Negi, with Deputy Commandant Nihas Suresh as deputy leader, the 12-member expedition team was split into two groups of six.
The Makalu group recorded an 83 percent summit success rate, with five climbers reaching the peak around 08:15 hrs on April 19. The successful summiteers included Assistant Commandant Sanjay Kumar, Head Constables Sonam Stobdan, Pradeep Panwar, Bahadur Chand, and Constable Vimal Kumar.
Meanwhile, the Annapurna team battled extreme conditions, including blizzards and whiteouts, reaching an altitude of 7,940 meters—just 150 meters shy of the summit—before safely retreating at 14:45 hrs on the same day.
As part of its “Clean Himalaya – Save Glacier” campaign, the expedition collected 150 kg of non-biodegradable waste from high-altitude camps, reinforcing ITBP’s environmental commitment.
With the successful ascent of Mt. Makalu, the ITBP has now scaled six of the world’s 14 eight-thousanders, including Mt. Everest, Mt. Kanchenjunga, Mt. Dhaulagiri, Mt. Lhotse, and Mt. Manaslu. To date, the force has conquered a total of 229 peaks, underscoring its unmatched expertise and resilience in some of the harshest terrains on Earth.
(ANI)