ITCN Training and Capacity Building Programme’ launched

The Programme is designed to help build capacities of city officials and young professionals for developing young children and family-friendly neighbourhoods within cities in India.

The 'Infant-Toddler and Caregiver-friendly Neighbourhoods (ITCN) Training and Capacity Building Programme' was launched virtually today by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) in partnership with Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF). The Programme is designed to help build capacities of city officials and young professionals for developing young children and family-friendly neighbourhoods within cities in India. Shri Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary and Mission Director (Smart Cities), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs remotely launched the event. The attendees of the event included Shri Hitesh Vaidya, Director, NIUA, Ms Rushda Majeed, India Representative, BvLF, Ms Kakul Misra, National Program Head- Centre for Digital Governance, NIUA, Shri Utsav Choudhury, Team Leader - Building Accessible, Safe, and Inclusive Indian Cities, NIUA. The Smart City CEOs, Municipal Commissioners and young professionals were also among the remote participants.

Shri Kunal Kumar said that a city designed for children is a city for everyone. He added that capacity building of cities to ensure data smart, infant toddlers and caregivers friendly neighbourhoods is an investment into a future productive economy.

The programme is a continuation of the long-term partnership between NIUA and BvLF to scale up the efforts and embed the lessons of ITC needs at the neighbourhood level within the city level programmes. Under the programme, city officials and young professionals are proposed to be skilled through certified training and capacity building modules. The training is proposed to be delivered through well-structured training modules, provided online through the National Urban Learning Platform (NULP), the platform developed for knowledge dissemination by MoHUA and NIUA.

The programme is envisioned with the twin objectives: first, embedding the learnings from the inventory of knowledge developed by NIUA and BvLF within the ongoing and proposed urban development initiatives at neighbourhood and city level; and second, handholding participants to embed learnings into the various initiatives of the cities which take into account the everyday needs of young children and caregivers. In addition, an academic certified course for young professionals has been planned to sensitize them about the needs of young citizens (0-5 years) in the city and to equip them with adequate tools for the purpose.

Shri Hitesh Vaidya, Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs said that when we plan a city from a child's perspective, we not only invest for the present but also for next generations to cherish and enjoy the fruits of development.

Ms Rushda Majeed, India Representative, Bernard van Leer Foundation said that in partnership with NIUA, the foundation aims to provide city officials and young urban planners with the right training, tools, and resources to make their cities more equitable, inclusive and friendly for young children and their families.

(With Inputs from PIB)