“Along with Women’s Empowerment, Women’s Militarization Is Also Necessary!” – Air Commodore Arun Inamdar

77th Republic Day Celebrated at MKSSS

January 26, 2026 – India’s 77th Republic Day was celebrated in an auspicious atmosphere at Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Samstha (MKSSS). Retired Air Commodore of the Indian Air Force, Shri. Arun Inamdar, was present as the Chief Guest for the occasion, while Dr. Anand Lele, Vice-Chairman of the MKSSS, presided over the function. Also present on this occasion were the MKSSS’s Secretary Dr. P. V. S. Shastri, Deputy Secretary Smt. Kanchan Satpute, Principal of Mahilashram High School Smt. Sneha Waghmare, and other dignitaries.

After the hoisting of the national flag, the National Anthem, Flag Song, and State Song were sung. NCC and RSP contingents then paid their respects to the dignitaries through a ceremonial march-past. The introductory remarks for the program were delivered by Smt. Sneha Waghmare.

At the outset, Air Commodore Arun Inamdar paid glowing tribute to the contributions of Maharshi Karve and stated that it was because of such dedicated individuals of that era that the country attained independence and republic.

“The annual parade held on Kartavya Path in Delhi is, in fact, a salute to such devoted heroes. Today, women have entered every social sphere. In those days, social reformers like Anna (karve) worked for women’s empowerment. But in today’s times, there is also a need for the militarization of women. For this, more and more girls should take advantage of the opportunities available in the armed forces,” he said.

He further remarked that although the National Defence Academy (NDA) is in Pune, there is no representation of Pune in the NDA, which is unfortunate. Girls should resolve to bridge this gap, he said, adding that the Agniveer scheme is also an excellent opportunity for service to the nation. “While doing this, we must remain conscious that if the society we are a part of is also strong in character, the morale of soldiers guarding the borders will be doubled. We should conduct our daily lives with this awareness,” Shri. Inamdar emphasized.

In his presidential address, Dr. Anand Lele expressed the view that “we celebrate these occasions because someone is working under adverse conditions on our borders, and it is our duty to help sustain their morale through our actions.” He further said, “Carrying out one’s assigned duties honestly and diligently is true patriotism. For students, studying sincerely itself is patriotism. Along with this, discipline in social life is also important. Clean habits are a great virtue. We must ensure that our bad habits do not impose unnecessary work on sanitation workers. Along with cleanliness around us, we should also resolve to maintain cleanliness in our conduct and dealings.”

After the formal vote of thanks, schools from the Karvenagar campus of the MKSSS presented impressive performances. These included a prayer sung by infants from the Sangopan Creche, a yoga demonstration by Shishuvihar Primary School, RSS prayer by the pre-primary school Arunai Vidya Mandir, a drill performance by Advant School, and a silent drill by students of Mahilashram High School.

The program concluded with the collective singing of Vande Mataram. The event was anchored by Smt. Akshada Kulkarni, Principal of Arunai Vidya Mandir.