Women have leadership potential, but training essential: BPSMV V-C

Sonepat, March 6

Professor Sudesh, Vice-Chancellor, Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya (BPSMV), said comprehensive measures were being taken to include more women in the political leadership of India. The Women’s Reservation Bill was a major step in this direction, she added.

The V-C said there was a lot of potential in women to take up leadership roles. She was presiding over a two-day national seminar organised by the department of political science of the Institute of Higher Learning.

The national seminar on “Changing pattern of leadership in India” was sponsored by the ICSSR, New Delhi. V-C Sudesh said there were enough number of academic institutes and related courses were available to gain mastery in every field. However, no training was being given for political leadership, she said.

Emphasising the need for leadership training in the rapidly changing socio-political equations, V-C Sudesh said proper training was necessary for aspiring leaders.

She said earlier, there was a perception that politics was not for “good” people, but now educated youth were also joining the field. She said some institutions were providing leadership capacity building programmes, including ISD (Indian School of Democracy). The V-C motivated girl students to take up leadership roles.

Dr Kushal Pal, principal, Indira Gandhi National College, Ladwa, said it was important to know about the qualities of a great leader. He said quick decision making, communication skills, competency, efficiency, etc., were necessary for political leadership.

He also mentioned the crisis of leadership in the whole world and the decay of democracy. Dr Pal also informed students about the constitutional paradigm in India.

Guest of honour Dr Ramesh Kumar, chairman, department of political science, Central University of Haryana, Mahendragarh, talked about the crisis of credibility in Indian politics. He also described the role played by the media in creating the narrative of society about leadership. Seven technical sessions were organised at this seminar, in which 100 faculty members and research scholars from 15 universities of 10 states, including West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi, participated.