Andhra Pradesh school students turn officials on International day of girl child

The International Day of the Girl Child-2020 will be a special day in the life of M Sravani, a junior intermediate student of Kasturba Gandhi Girls School in Anantapuramu.

For the day, Sravani officiated as the Collector and District Magistrate of Anantapuramu under a novel initiative taken up by the regular DC Gandham Chandrudu. Chandrudu named it "Balike Bhavishyattu" (girl is the future) for the day to sensitize the importance.

Attired in a saree, Sravani reached the district Collectorate on Sunday morning, where she was warmly received by Chandrudu and his subordinate officers and ushered Sravani into the District Collector's chamber. As she assumed the Collector's chair, Sravani signed a file granting a relief of Rs 25,000 to a girl in a case of SCs and STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Sravani then signed another file, issuing orders prohibiting telephone calls to women employees between 8 pm and 8 am on official work. "We have decided to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child-2020 in a different manner and came up with the idea of making girl students take up official roles, right from the district Collector to the tehsildars. We have conducted a draw of lots in the Kasturba Gandhi School and selected the girl students for various roles," Chandrudu told PTI. Elated over the experience, Sravani said such initiatives would help young students understand the role and responsibilities of a bureaucrat better.

"I know the Collector sir as a committed officer. I liked his initiative and thank him for that," Sravani told reporters. In the various tehsildar offices like Talupula, Kotha Cheruvu, Gutti and Garladinne, cakes were cut to celebrate the occasion as the girl students donned their assigned roles like tehsildars, deputy tehsildars and revenue inspectors.

The girls elaborated what they would do for people and farmers in general and girls and women in particular if they got to wield a position of authority. Senior officials explained the various laws concerning girls and women and the importance of girl child day.