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The Centre on Saturday announced the appointment of Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar as the ninth chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) succeeding Rekha Sharma. As per the notification issued by the Central Government, the appointment has been made under Section 3 of the National Commission for Women Act, 1990. It has been told that Rahatkar's tenure will begin with immediate effect and the appointment will be valid for a period of three years or until she reaches the age of 65, whichever comes first.
BY Outlook Web Desk Besides Rahatkar's appointment as the chairperson, the Ministry of Women and Child Development named Archana Majumdar a member of the NCW for a tenure of three years. Who is Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar? According to a statement issued by the Women and Child Development Ministry, Rahatkar, in her career so far, has demonstrated leadership skills across various political and social responsibilities. She has been a recipient of National Law Award and the Savitribai Phule Award from a national literary council owing to her contributions to women's empowerment.
Rahatkar holds a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in history from the University of Pune. She has also authored several books, including "Vidhilikhit" and "Aurangabad: Leading to Wide Roads". BY Outlook Web Desk Rahatkar has reportedly spearheaded several welfare initiaves for women including "Sakshama" (support for acid attack survivors), "Prajwala" (linking self-help groups to Central government schemes), and "Suhita" (a 24x7 helpline service for women) during her tenure as the chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women between 2016 and 2021.
She also worked on legal reforms focusing on issues like Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), anti-triple talaq cells, and anti-human trafficking units. Rahatkar also introduced digital literacy programmes and launched a publication named "Saad" dedicated to women's issues. As the mayor of Chatrapati Sambhajinagar from 2007 to 2010, Rahatkar implemented significant developmental projects related to healthcare and infrastructure.
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