News & Announcement
NABARD Celebrates International Women’s Day in Gangtok
Gangtok, March 13 (IPR): The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Sikkim Regional Office, today celebrated International Women’s Day 2026 on the theme “Give to Gain” at a local hotel in Gangtok with a programme highlighting women’s empowerment, financial literacy, and the role of community institutions in rural development.
The programme was attended by Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Government of Sikkim, Ms Sarika Pradhan, as chief guest. She was accompanied by PRCS cum Secretary, Cooperation Department, Government of Sikkim, Ms Jabi Thapa, as the guest of honour.
Joint CEO, Sikkim State Rural Livelihoods Mission, Ms Srijana Chettri, Head of the Department of Nepali, Nar Bahadur Bhandari Government College, Ms Geeta Nirola, and Managing Director, SISCO Bank, Ms Pema Chenzom, attended the event as special guests.
The event also brought together women officers, staff and students from various institutions, representatives from state government departments, banks, and members of Self Help Groups (SHGs), Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) and Multipurpose Agricultural Cooperative Societies (MPACS).
Addressing the gathering, Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Ms Sarika Pradhan, commended NABARD for its continued efforts in strengthening women’s empowerment initiatives in the state.
She remarked that the programme was not merely a celebration of International Women’s Day but a reaffirmation of the collective commitment towards empowering women and encouraging them to support and uplift one another.
Sharing her observations, she noted that women in the state are highly enthusiastic and forward-looking, always ready to take the next step to learn and grow, adding that women are endowed with the strength and resilience to lead change.
She highlighted the significant role played by SHGs in strengthening the rural economy and spoke about how women coming together through such collectives have contributed to uplifting communities and societies.
Emphasising that women’s participation and empowerment are essential for inclusive development, she spoke about various initiatives under the Social Welfare Department and assured that the department and the state government remain committed to providing continuous handholding and support to women in their endeavours.
She also shared that efforts are being made to pave the way for better branding and quality enhancement so that local products meet national standards and gain wider recognition.
Expressing hope for greater collaboration with stakeholder agencies and institutions, she pointed to the growing scope for business and entrepreneurship in the state and encouraged more women and youth to engage in such opportunities.
She further stressed the importance of networking and cooperation in building a resilient rural economy across Sikkim.
PRCS cum Secretary, Cooperation Department, Ms Jabi Thapa, spoke about the growing role of women-led cooperatives in the state and highlighted the increasing presence of women in leadership positions across various sectors.
She stated that women in Sikkim are increasingly taking on key leadership responsibilities, serving as Heads of various Departments, while highlighting a landmark milestone wherein 11 SHG members have been appointed as Chairpersons of various departments, with one SHG member appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD)—a first-of-its-kind initiative in the state that reflects the government’s commitment to promoting women’s leadership and grassroots representation in governance.
She also highlighted the efforts of the Cooperation Department to promote greater inclusion of women in leadership positions and decision-making bodies within cooperative institutions.
She further spoke about various schemes introduced for the benefit of women, including the Pradhan Mantri Bandhan Yojana. She informed that the Cooperation Department, Government of Sikkim, as the implementing agency, has engaged around 24,000 SHG members under the initiative and is supporting value addition of their products while strengthening livelihood opportunities for women across the State.
Highlighting the importance of market access, she stressed the need for enhancing skills in marketing so that women entrepreneurs and cooperative groups can expand their reach to national markets.
General Manager/OiC, NABARD, Sikkim Regional Office, Gangtok, Mr Ajay K Sinha, in his brief address, spoke about NABARD’s continued commitment to strengthening women-led institutions, promoting rural entrepreneurship, and supporting livelihood initiatives through SHGs and capacity-building programmes across the state.
The programme also featured addresses by the special guests including the Joint CEO, SRLM, the HoD of the Department of Nepali, NBB Government College, and the MD, SISCO Bank, who in their addresses, collectively highlighted the importance of the theme “Give to Gain” and stressed the value of collaboration, knowledge-sharing and mutual support in advancing women’s empowerment and sustainable community development.
A video presentation on the Micro Enterprise Development Programme (MEDP) highlighted NABARD’s initiatives aimed at enhancing the entrepreneurial capabilities of rural women.
During the programme, women representatives of SHGs, MPACS and Gram Dukans shared their experiences and success stories, reflecting on how access to institutional support, financial inclusion and capacity-building programmes have helped improve their livelihoods.
An awareness session on financial literacy focusing on cyber safety and digital security for women was conducted by Area Manager, CRISIL Foundation, Mr Hem Kumar Chettri.
The programme also included an interactive quiz session for women participants.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Assistant Manager, NABARD, Mr Swanand S Padalkar.
Earlier, the guests and dignitaries also visited exhibition stalls showcasing products made by women SHGs, MPACS and Gram Dukans.
The programme was attended by Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Government of Sikkim, Ms Sarika Pradhan, as chief guest. She was accompanied by PRCS cum Secretary, Cooperation Department, Government of Sikkim, Ms Jabi Thapa, as the guest of honour.
Joint CEO, Sikkim State Rural Livelihoods Mission, Ms Srijana Chettri, Head of the Department of Nepali, Nar Bahadur Bhandari Government College, Ms Geeta Nirola, and Managing Director, SISCO Bank, Ms Pema Chenzom, attended the event as special guests.
The event also brought together women officers, staff and students from various institutions, representatives from state government departments, banks, and members of Self Help Groups (SHGs), Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) and Multipurpose Agricultural Cooperative Societies (MPACS).
Addressing the gathering, Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Ms Sarika Pradhan, commended NABARD for its continued efforts in strengthening women’s empowerment initiatives in the state.
She remarked that the programme was not merely a celebration of International Women’s Day but a reaffirmation of the collective commitment towards empowering women and encouraging them to support and uplift one another.
Sharing her observations, she noted that women in the state are highly enthusiastic and forward-looking, always ready to take the next step to learn and grow, adding that women are endowed with the strength and resilience to lead change.
She highlighted the significant role played by SHGs in strengthening the rural economy and spoke about how women coming together through such collectives have contributed to uplifting communities and societies.
Emphasising that women’s participation and empowerment are essential for inclusive development, she spoke about various initiatives under the Social Welfare Department and assured that the department and the state government remain committed to providing continuous handholding and support to women in their endeavours.
She also shared that efforts are being made to pave the way for better branding and quality enhancement so that local products meet national standards and gain wider recognition.
Expressing hope for greater collaboration with stakeholder agencies and institutions, she pointed to the growing scope for business and entrepreneurship in the state and encouraged more women and youth to engage in such opportunities.
She further stressed the importance of networking and cooperation in building a resilient rural economy across Sikkim.
PRCS cum Secretary, Cooperation Department, Ms Jabi Thapa, spoke about the growing role of women-led cooperatives in the state and highlighted the increasing presence of women in leadership positions across various sectors.
She stated that women in Sikkim are increasingly taking on key leadership responsibilities, serving as Heads of various Departments, while highlighting a landmark milestone wherein 11 SHG members have been appointed as Chairpersons of various departments, with one SHG member appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD)—a first-of-its-kind initiative in the state that reflects the government’s commitment to promoting women’s leadership and grassroots representation in governance.
She also highlighted the efforts of the Cooperation Department to promote greater inclusion of women in leadership positions and decision-making bodies within cooperative institutions.
She further spoke about various schemes introduced for the benefit of women, including the Pradhan Mantri Bandhan Yojana. She informed that the Cooperation Department, Government of Sikkim, as the implementing agency, has engaged around 24,000 SHG members under the initiative and is supporting value addition of their products while strengthening livelihood opportunities for women across the State.
Highlighting the importance of market access, she stressed the need for enhancing skills in marketing so that women entrepreneurs and cooperative groups can expand their reach to national markets.
General Manager/OiC, NABARD, Sikkim Regional Office, Gangtok, Mr Ajay K Sinha, in his brief address, spoke about NABARD’s continued commitment to strengthening women-led institutions, promoting rural entrepreneurship, and supporting livelihood initiatives through SHGs and capacity-building programmes across the state.
The programme also featured addresses by the special guests including the Joint CEO, SRLM, the HoD of the Department of Nepali, NBB Government College, and the MD, SISCO Bank, who in their addresses, collectively highlighted the importance of the theme “Give to Gain” and stressed the value of collaboration, knowledge-sharing and mutual support in advancing women’s empowerment and sustainable community development.
A video presentation on the Micro Enterprise Development Programme (MEDP) highlighted NABARD’s initiatives aimed at enhancing the entrepreneurial capabilities of rural women.
During the programme, women representatives of SHGs, MPACS and Gram Dukans shared their experiences and success stories, reflecting on how access to institutional support, financial inclusion and capacity-building programmes have helped improve their livelihoods.
An awareness session on financial literacy focusing on cyber safety and digital security for women was conducted by Area Manager, CRISIL Foundation, Mr Hem Kumar Chettri.
The programme also included an interactive quiz session for women participants.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Assistant Manager, NABARD, Mr Swanand S Padalkar.
Earlier, the guests and dignitaries also visited exhibition stalls showcasing products made by women SHGs, MPACS and Gram Dukans.
