25,000 Rajasthan Students Learn Self-Defense and Legal Rights

Chetna Jogi used to think twice before walking across campus alone. Today, she moves through her college in Rajasthan with a quiet confidence that surprises even her.

The change didn't happen overnight. It built slowly through four weeks at her college's Rani Laxmi Bai Kendra, a program that's teaching thousands of young women across Rajasthan how to defend themselves, understand their legal rights, and manage their money.

Named after the legendary warrior queen of Jhansi, these centers operate inside 150 government colleges statewide. The Department of Higher Education runs them in partnership with state police, bringing officers directly onto campus for something other than emergencies.

Each batch keeps groups small at 40 to 45 students. The four-week curriculum covers personal safety, cybersecurity, legal rights, health awareness, and emergency response. Students also learn practical skills like opening bank accounts, applying for scholarships, and planning careers.

For Ridhika Kanwar Bhati, a first-year student from Chittorgarh, the yoga and meditation sessions helped her focus. But what really mattered was having an all-women space where she felt comfortable asking questions she'd normally keep to herself.

The legal literacy sessions leave the deepest mark on many students. They learn how to recognize harassment, preserve evidence of online abuse, and which helplines to call when they need help. Laws that once felt distant suddenly become tools they can actually use.

The Ripple Effect

The program started small with just 34 colleges training 3,500 students. The second phase exploded to 314 colleges, reaching 15,000 young women. Now in its third phase across another 150 schools, the program has trained over 25,000 students, making it one of India's largest college-based empowerment initiatives.

For students from tribal districts and smaller towns, the career planning sessions open doors they didn't know existed. Many are learning about competitive exams, vocational courses, and professional paths for the first time. The program doesn't just teach self-defense. It teaches young women how to show up in government offices, banks, and classrooms knowing exactly what to say and how to advocate for themselves.

Chetna, who grew up in Rajasthan's tribal belt, puts it simply: "The training gave me the strength to move independently." That word, independently, carries weight when you understand what it took to get there.

The shift happens one class at a time, turning uncertainty into the quiet belief that the future isn't fixed but full of choices these young women get to make for themselves.