Martial art training to be given to girls up to the age of 17: Nitish

Patna,(BiharTimes): Chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Thursday that training in martial arts for school girls would be extended from 14 years to 17 years. At present, judo and karate training are being imparted in state to over one lakh girls of Class VI to VIII of the government schools.

Speaking at the the valedictory function of five-day Bihar sub-junior sports meet ‘Tarang 2014’, at Gandhi Maidan he said the training in martial art would make girls self-dependent to safeguard themselves from ‘manchale’ (road Romeos). He also inaugurated construction of 550 school buildings in the state.

The chief minister said after assuming power in 2005, he gave utmost importance to education and through various schemes such as Balika Cycle Yojna, uniform and scholarship projects, brought down the school dropout rate from 12.5 per cent in 2005 to less than two per cent now.

Over 10,000 girls displayed their karate skills at Gandhi Maidan. They displayed different techniques of self-defence and attack, simple formations and complex martial arts drills on rhythmic beats.

A total of 150 trainers prepared them for the final event. The girls were trained at their schools for the last few months. "Many of them are master trainers who coach their fellow students at school.

The state government had mooted the idea of training girls in judo and karate following the gang-rape of a para-medical student in Delhi on December 16, 2012.

Education minister Prashant Kumar Shahi said women empowerment was taking concrete shape in Bihar. Principal secretary of education department, Amarjeet Sinha, said the girls were now capable of self-defence and it would lead to an inclusive development of the society.