India may still be obsessed with sons but our daughters are not leaving the race. Even as the recently released Economic Survey revealed a disturbing pattern about how around 60 million women were missing from the society owing to the preference for male child, there’s a fact that may give us a reason to smile.

Believe it or not, but India is home to maximum number of women pilots in the world. The statement was made by Union Minister Jayant Sinha recently.

‘India is the country with maximum number of women pilots in the world, be it in Air India or Indian Air Force. This is a testimony of the contribution made by women to the aviation sector and also by the country to their careers,’ Sinha had said.

‘While the presence of women has contributed to the progress of the aviation sector, their support is still needed to strengthen the area,’ Sinha added.

The statement goes well with what PM Modi’s pro-women policies have been in last four years. In his first edition of Mann ki Baat of 2018, the Prime Minister extensively spoke about empowering the women and their immeasurable contribution to our society.

Since the age when the Vedas were composed by women, 'naari shakti' has set numerous milestones and continues to play a pioneering role, the PM had observed.

"Let me tell you that one daughter is equal to ten sons... The punya (good) we get from 10 sons, we get that from one daughter," PM Modi had said during his radio programme.

While mentioning about women's achievements in various fields he remembered astronaut Kalpana Chawla.

Chawla, who was the first woman of Indian origin in space, died on February 1, 2003, in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. She was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

"Women are advancing in many fields, emerging as leaders. Today there are many sectors where our woman power is playing a pioneering role, establishing milestones," the PM said.

He mentioned examples of Matunga railway station in Mumbai, which is being completely run by women and women in Dantewada, Chhatisgarh who drive e-rickshaws to earn their livelihood. "Dantewada area in Chhatisgarh, which a Maoist affected region, where Maoists have created an environment of fear. In such an area women are driving e-ricksahws and becoming self-sufficient," he said.