PRAYAGRAJ, Sept. 4 -- For years, women of Prayagraj's villages worked quietly in the fields. Now, some are taking to the skies. A new batch of nine women has been selected to undergo training in drone operations for agriculture under the State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM). They left for Lucknow this week for a 15-day program that will teach them how to spray fertilisers and pesticides using drones, an occupation once seen as the preserve of men.

Part of the 'Drone Sakhi' program, the initiative equips women with drones to provide services across villages, ensuring better yields and steady income.

"In the second phase of the scheme, nine women have been selected and sent for training. After 15 days, they will return as certified drone...