India, Sept. 11 -- For Dr Indu Rao, empowering girls is not an initiative she took up after becoming a principal but a thread running through her entire career in higher education.

Today, as the principal of three government girls' colleges, Dr Rao is trying to redefine what a college education should mean for a young woman - moving it beyond classrooms, examinations and degrees to skills, confidence, employability and the ability to make independent choices.

Her philosophy is "educate a girl, educate a family." "Since the first day of my career, I have been working for girls' employment and empowerment. I have always believed that educating a girl has an impact far beyond her own life. When a girl becomes educated, confident and indepe...