Centre renames NIPCCD after Savitribai Phule, Annapurna Devi calls it 'tribute to foremost social reformer'

New Delhi, July 2 (IANS) The Ministry of Women and Child Development on Wednesday announced the renaming of the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) as the Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development.

The ministry, in a statement, said the renaming reflects the Institute's evolving role and renewed focus on region-specific, mission-driven support for the holistic development of women and children across the country.

Furthering this objective, a new Regional Centre of the Institute will be inaugurated in Ranchi, Jharkhand, on July 4, 2025.

This centre will address the specialised training and research requirements of the ministry's flagship programmes -- Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya, Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 -- with a special emphasis on the eastern states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal.

"In a significant move aimed at strengthening outreach and regional capacity-building, a new Regional Centre in Ranchi, Jharkhand, is to be inaugurated on July 4, 2025," the ministry said in a statement.

It further stated that the training needs of these states were earlier partially met by centres in Guwahati and Lucknow, which posed logistical hurdles due to long travel distances for many field functionaries.

The new centre will also offer an Advanced Diploma in Child Guidance and Counselling and facilitate better accessibility for over seven lakh functionaries operating under the ministry's missions in the four states across 115 districts.

Union Minister Annpurna Devi said the renaming of NIPCCD is a "tribute to the legacy of Savitribai Phule, one of India's foremost social reformers, and is a reaffirmation of the government's commitment to women and child-centric development."

"The inauguration of the new Regional Centre in Ranchi marks a significant step towards decentralised, region-specific capacity building in the Eastern region," she said.

"This Centre will not only empower our frontline functionaries with better access to training and support, but also strengthen our flagship missions at the grassroots level," she added, highlighting that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ministry is ensuring that no woman or child is left behind in the journey towards Viksit Bharat - 2047.

The ministry noted that the new centre will bring training services closer to field functionaries, enable the identification of local issues, promote customised interventions, and improve resource utilisation for women's empowerment and child welfare in the eastern region.

It will also support research, counselling, and extension activities in child development, mental health, and adolescent well-being.

The Institute, now renamed as Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development, is headquartered in New Delhi and has regional centres in Bangalore, Guwahati, Lucknow, Indore, and Mohali.

It serves as the apex body for training, research, documentation, and capacity building in the domain of Women and Child Development and plays a pivotal role in strengthening implementation mechanisms under various flagship schemes through both online and physical training initiatives.

--IANS

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