The Neyveli Chapter of Women in Public Sector (WIPS), celebrated International Women’s Day-2025, with the theme “For all Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment”, on March 11, 2025, with a grand presence of more than three hundred attendees at Learning & Development Centre of NLCIL. Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, CMD, NLCIL, presided over the function which had three eminent women personalities – Chief Guest Ms Kasthuri Rajamani, the first woman from Tamil Nadu to represent India in para powerlifting at international events, Guests of Honour, Prof. Dr. Sengamalai Thayar, Kalaimamani Award winner of Puducherry in 2017 and Smt. P. Jayanthi, the first women worker at a crematorium and recipient of the Kalpana Chawla Award by Government of Tamil Nadu. Smt. Radhika Motupalli, President, Ladies Club & Sneha Opportunity Services, Smt. Divya Suman, Tmt. Chitra Venkatachalam and Tmt. Anurekha Govindarajan, graced the occasion and offered their felicitations. The function was also graced by Functional Directors of NLCIL, Dr. Suresh Chandra Suman, Samir Swarup, M Venkatachalam, Prasanna Kumar Acharya and CVO of NLCIL Appakannu Govindarajan, IPoS. The office bearers and members of WIPS, representatives of recognised Trade Unions Labour Progressive Front, Anna Labour Union, GEA, EA, Officers Association, OBC Welfare Association, SC/ST Welfare Federations, Senior officers of NLCIL and women employees of NLCIL also participated in the event. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Guest of the function, Selvi Kasthuri Rajamani recounted her journey from a modest family background to a celebrated sportswoman and highlighted the importance of self-confidence and courage in facing challenges and attaining success. Prof. Dr. Sengamalai Thayar, Guest of Honour, stressed the importance of education for women to achieve gender equality. Persons like eminent Poet Subramania Bharathi secured the rights of women who were subjugated over the centuries and these rights can be asserted only through education, she said.  Mrs P Jayanthi, the other Guest of Honour, called upon the women to face the world with courage and develop self-confidence to protect their rights. She also stated that a woman with self-confidence is capable of achieving anything. Delivering his Presidential address, CMD, NLCIL, Prasanna Kumar Motupalli said that men should not hesitate to attribute their successes to women. He recalled that the International Women’s Day was the outcome of a protest by 15,000 women against disparity and inequality in New York in 1909. He pointed out that with awareness of women’s rights, the representation of women in Indian Parliament had reached an all-time high of 24% and that this percentage should go up. He applauded the three women achievers who were honoured and said that their determination and grit were a lesson for Team NLCIL to achieve their ambitious targets. He proudly pointed out that in a recent Parliamentary Committee Meeting of around 20 Public Sector Companies, NLCIL was the only Public Sector Enterprise to have two women in the Board of Directors. He also complimented the Neyveli Chapter of WIPS for bagging the 2nd place in the recent Governance Now 11th PSU Awards. He called upon the women employees of NLCIL to continue their contributions multifold and assured them of constant infrastructural improvements for their safety and conveniences.  Earlier, the General Secretary of WIPS, Neyveli Chapter, Ms. Shulagna Sarkar, presented the Activity Report of WIPS for the calendar year 2024. A souvenir was also released by CMD, NLCIL, on the occasion. As part of the celebrations, sports awards were presented to sportswomen who excelled in recent tournaments. An enthralling cultural programme by members of WIPS was presented.  Dr S Vijayakumari, President, WIPS, welcomed the gathering while Mrs K Parvathi, Treasurer, WIPS, proposed the Vote of Thanks.