Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Friday, June 12, 2026, invoked the hashtag #12YearsOfNariShakti to mark over a decade of the Modi government's initiatives aimed at women's empowerment, calling women's empowerment 'the greatest strength of a developed nation.' Posting in Hindi, the minister wrote: 'नारी सशक्तिकरण ही विकसित राष्ट्र की सबसे बड़ी ताकत है' ('Women's empowerment is the greatest strength of a developed nation'). He added that over the past 12 years, the Modi government has taken 'numerous historic initiatives' to raise women's dignity, security, health and self-reliance to new heights, concluding that 'an empowered woman builds a prosperous family, a strong society and an advanced nation.'

Context

The post arrives as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its government mark twelve years in office, with ministers across portfolios amplifying the #12YearsOfNariShakti narrative. Dr. Jitendra Singh, who holds charge of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and serves as Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, is among the senior voices lending weight to the anniversary messaging. The framing ties women's advancement directly to the government's broader Viksit Bharat (Developed India) vision.

Policy Backdrop

The government's record on women's welfare spans legislative, financial and social domains. The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, launched in 2015, targeted the declining child sex ratio and expanded access to girls' education across districts. In 2019, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act criminalised instant triple talaq, a move the government positioned as a landmark protection for Muslim women. Most significantly, the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 enshrined 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, a provision awaiting delimitation before it takes effect. Successive Union Budgets have expanded gender budgeting allocations and direct-benefit transfers to women-headed households. Programmes such as expanded Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana connections have addressed health and energy access in rural homes, while the 2013 Criminal Law Amendment — reinforced through subsequent executive action — has remained a reference point for women's safety discourse.

Stakeholders and Impact

Indian women, particularly those in rural households, are the primary beneficiaries of the schemes cited in the government's narrative. Advocates for women's rights have broadly welcomed the legislative milestones — especially the triple talaq ban and the women's reservation amendment — while also noting that the reservation law's actual implementation depends on the completion of delimitation, a process not yet concluded. Civil society groups continue to track ground-level outcomes on indicators such as female labour force participation and maternal health.

What's Next

Attention will turn to two near-term milestones: the rollout timeline for the Women's Reservation Act ahead of future general elections, and whether the forthcoming Union Budget carries new gender-specific provisions or enhanced allocations under existing welfare schemes. The #12YearsOfNariShakti campaign is likely to intensify across government communications as the anniversary period continues, with ministers and party platforms drawing on the policy record to reinforce the Viksit Bharat narrative centred on women's development.