Delhi, Jan 8
\n\u201cThe government aims to empower its staff with the skills and knowledge required to plan better and manage cities, thereby enhancing ease of living for citizens.\u201d said Shri Manohar Lal, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, emphasizing on a citizen centric Urban Governance during his inaugural address at the \u2018Capacity for Change: Forging Sustainable Futures\u2019 Conference held at the India Habitat Centre, today in New Delhi.<\/p>\n
The conference was organised by National Institute of Urban Affairs, under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The conference served as a platform for thought leaders, urban officials, and experts to discuss strategies and best practices for building institutional capacity in urban governance. It explored how data and technology can be leveraged to make capacity-building initiatives a catalyst for strengthening urban governance.<\/p>\n
Addressing the gathering, the Minister emphasised the conference’s strategic importance, stating, “This initiative aims to reimagine historic Indian cities, address urban expansion, and integrate technology and AI to shape future cities. We should draw inspiration from the traditional wisdom of our historic cities and combine it with modern technological tools to create sustainable urban environments, as 50 per cent of the population is projected to live in cities by 2047.”<\/p>\n
Shri Tokhan Sahu, Hon\u2019ble Minister of State for MoHUA, further highlighted the government’s commitment to fostering inclusive cities. \u201cThe mission of the Government of India is not only to make cities engines of growth but also examples of equity, equality, and sustainability. Innovation is key, but it must be citizen-centric. Involving citizens in governance ensures that cities become inclusive, especially for marginalized communities,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n
Shri Rahul Kapoor, Joint Secretary at MoHUA, reaffirmed the Ministry\u2019s role in addressing urban challenges through technology and capacity-building. \u201cThe \u2018Capacity for Change\u2019 conference showcases how digital learning can enhance urban governance. Through platforms like the National Urban Learning Platform (NULP), we aim to empower government officials to lead the way toward a sustainable urban future,\u201d he said. He highlighted the Ministry\u2019s commitment to creating resilient cities through collaborative solutions, noting that the NULP currently engages over 107,825 members, including more than 500 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and offers over 114 courses to urban practitioners.<\/p>\n
Dr. Debolina Kundu, Director (AC) of the National Institute of Urban Affairs, underscored the importance of collaboration in urban governance. \u201cThe involvement of state and city officials, Ministry representatives, partners, and experts from across the country in this conference reflects our collective commitment to creating resilient, inclusive, and sustainable urban futures,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Conference Highlights and Sessions:<\/p>\n
The conference included multiple engaging sessions focused on capacity-building as a catalyst for urban transformation. Key topics discussed included:<\/p>\n
\u2018Capacity Building as a Catalyst for Sustainable Urban Transformation<\/p>\n
\u2018Building Institutional Capacity for Sustainable Urban Governance<\/p>\n
\u2018Building for Citizen-Centric Governance<\/p>\n
\u2018Building Capacities of Urban Officials for Digital Governance<\/p>\n
Key Knowledge Products Launched:<\/p>\n
Several important knowledge products were launched during the conference, aimed at strengthening urban governance and capacity building:<\/p>\n
Urban Learnathon 2.0: A challenge to promote innovative urban solutions through collaboration between state\/city officials, academics, and industry partners.<\/p>\n
NULP 4.0: An on-demand skilling tool that creates India’s largest digital learning community for urban practitioners, fostering a culture of collaborative learning and knowledge co-creation.<\/p>\n
\u2018Know Your Ministry\u2019 Course: A new course offering an overview of MoHUA, its vision, mandate, and historical evolution.<\/p>\n
\u2018Pathways for Mainstreaming Urban Climate Action\u2019: A discussion paper addressing climate action in urban settings.<\/p>\n
Publications:<\/p>\n
Towards a More Efficient and Equitable Property Tax System: The Next Step.<\/p>\n
Compendium of Coastal Nature-based Solutions (UrbanShift, NIUA).<\/p>\n
Transforming Cities Playbook: Showcasing practical use cases for Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCCs) in urban governance.<\/p>\n
Cybersecurity Handbook for Smart Cities: Addressing cybersecurity challenges in smart cities.<\/p>\n
City Innovation eXchange (CiX) Compendium of Success Stories: Highlighting transformative innovations by startups tackling urban challenges.<\/p>\n
Vibrant Public Spaces: A compendium of water and parkscapes from India\u2019s Smart Cities Mission.<\/p>\n
E-course on Form-based Codes.<\/p>\n
National Outcomes Report of Smart Cities Mission.<\/p>\n
The “Capacity for Change” conference marked a significant step in addressing the complexities of urbanisation in India. By leveraging cutting-edge tools, collaborative platforms, and innovative capacity-building methodologies, this initiative seeks to empower urban practitioners to drive sustainable urban transformation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Delhi, Jan 8 \u201cThe government aims to empower its staff with the skills and knowledge…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17598,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest","category-national"],"yoast_head":"\n