NTPC Sipat inaugurated the Girl Empowerment Mission (GEM)-2026 on 16 May 2026 with great enthusiasm. The four-week fully residential programme was inaugurated by Chief Guest Rajnesh Singh, IPS, DIG & SSP, Bilaspur, in the presence of Shri Swapan Kumar Mandal, BUH, NTPC Sipat.
Organised under the CSR initiative of NTPC Limited, GEM-2026 will benefit around 130 girls from 38 government schools of project-affected villages who have recently passed Class 5. The month-long fully residential programme has been designed for the holistic development of girls in the 10–12 years age group through exposure to academics, computer education, yoga, sports, self-defence, arts, music, discipline, hygiene, communication skills, time management, and personality development.
During the inaugural ceremony, the participating girls presented musical and cultural dance performances. Former participants from the GEM 2022 batch, Ms. Divyanshi Mairchanya and Ms. Chinki Patanwar, currently studying in Class 10 at Bal Bharati Public School, also shared their experiences and highlighted how the programme helped improve their confidence, personality, communication skills, and overall development. Their inspiring stories encouraged the newly enrolled girls to make the best use of the opportunity.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Shri Rajnesh Singh, IPS, DIG & SSP, appreciated NTPC Sipat’s efforts towards girl empowerment. He said that initiatives like GEM encourage girls to dream big and realise their true potential. He motivated the participants to make the best use of the opportunity for self-development and learning and move ahead with confidence. During his visit, he also reviewed and appreciated the arrangements made for the participants and lauded NTPC’s CSR initiatives for bringing positive change in the region.
In his address, Shri Swapan Kumar Mandal, BUH, Sipat described GEM as a transformative platform that nurtures confidence, leadership, and aspirations among young girls. He encouraged the participants to learn enthusiastically and believe in their ability to achieve their dreams. He stated that educating a girl strengthens not only a family but society as a whole. He informed that GEM was launched at NTPC Sipat in 2019 and, since then, 525 girls have been trained under the initiative at Sipat.
Shri Jayaprakash Satyakam, Head of HR, informed that 130 girl students from project-affected villages of Sipat have been enrolled for the GEM Workshop 2026. He also stated that, after the workshop, 10 meritorious girls from the current batch would be selected for completely free education from Class 6 up to Class 12 at Bal Bharati Public School, NTPC Sipat.
Smt. Shikha Mandal, President of Sangwari Mahila Samiti, also motivated the participants and assured them that members of the Mahila Samiti would guide and support them like family members throughout the programme.
Aligned with the Government of India’s “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” initiative, NTPC Limited’s flagship CSR programme, Girl Empowerment Mission, is being organised across NTPC stations nationwide to promote education, confidence, and holistic development among young girls. This year, more than 3,400 girls across the country are expected to benefit from the programme. The initiative reflects NTPC Sipat’s commitment towards inclusive and long-term social transformation through focused community development initiatives.
All General Managers and Heads of Departments; senior members of Sangwari Mahila Samiti; representatives of unions and associations; members of Gram Panchayats; and media representatives were also present on the occasion.
