New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): The National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) has officially been renamed as the Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development, reflecting its evolving role and greater focus on region-specific, mission-driven support for the development of women and children across India on Wednesday, according to the official statement.

This transformation has taken place under the leadership of Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annpurna Devi.

In a significant move aimed at strengthening outreach and regional capacity-building, a new Regional Centre in Ranchi, Jharkhand, is to be inaugurated on 4 July 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 particular focus on the Eastern region covering Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal.

Previously, the training needs of these States were partially catered through Regional Centres located in Guwahati and Lucknow, posing logistical challenges for many functionaries due to long travel distances, according to the release.

According to the statement from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the new Regional Centre will also offer the Advanced Diploma in Child Guidance and Counselling and will facilitate better accessibility for frontline functionaries in these states. It is estimated that over seven lakh functionaries operate under the Ministry's missions across the four states, spread across 115 districts.

Annpurna Devi said that the renaming of NIPCCD as the Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development is a tribute to the legacy of one of India's foremost social reformers and a reaffirmation of our commitment to women and child-centric development.

Highlighting the importance of setting up new regional centres, the Union Minister said that the inauguration of the new Regional Centre in Ranchi would mark a significant step towards decentralised, region-specific capacity building in the Eastern region.

As per the release, 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 further added that under the visionary leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are ensuring that no woman or child is left behind in our journey towards Viksit Bharat @2047.

The new Regional Centre in Ranchi will not only bring training services closer to the field functionaries but also enable the identification of local issues, customised interventions, and better resource utilisation for women's empowerment and child welfare in the Eastern region.

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

This step is a testament to the Ministry's commitment to ensuring last-mile delivery of services, region-specific capacity building, and the creation of an inclusive, empowered, and healthier India under the leadership of Union Minister Annpurna Devi.

NIPCCD, now renamed as Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development, has its headquarters in New Delhi and presently 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 field of Women and Child Development.

The Institute plays a pivotal role in strengthening implementation mechanisms under various flagship schemes through its online and physical training programmes, as per the statement. (ANI)