India will have six megacities with over 10 million residents each, and will witness an urban explosion never seen before

How encouraging local ownership is enabling behavioural change

Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with UNDP and National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) will launch “Vanjeevan” the National Resource Centre for Tribal Livelihood issues at Bhubaneswar, Odisha on December 22, 2016. Shri Jual Oram, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs will preside over the launch ceremony. NRC website and e-knowledge platform on tribal livelihood will also be unveiled on the occasion.

Watch Shri Jual Oram, Hon’ble Minister of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, explain how a new sub-community of practice will enable the entrepreneurial development of tribals, helping eradicate poverty and improve livelihood opportunities.

The sub-community’s primary objective is to encourage knowledge- and information-sharing while facilitating the exchange of technological solutions, innovations, experiences and best practices in the area of skills development and entrepreneurship promotion among tribal communities.

We would like to inform and warn the public at large that UNDP is aware of scams and fraudulent activities being attempted in the name of UNDP (the United Nations Development Programme).

Watch how local fishing communities are coming together to conserve whale sharks in the east coast of India, and contributing to conserving the rich marine life of the area.

In 2006, Kalki Subramaniam wrote and published her first blog post, probably the first by a transgender woman in India. Within days, her autobiographical post on life as a transgender person in India got hundreds of comments.

Purshottam Jat, 42, has been living with HIV for the last 18 years. In 1998, his world came crashing down around him when he realized he was HIV positive during a business trip to Goa. A trucker by profession, he used to drive his truck across the country to supply marble from Rajasthan to southern parts of India. Purshottam did not want to die but could not find a single reason to live.

In spite of progress, the job is far from done, says UNDP Administrator on World AIDS Day.

Thirty-five years since the emergence of AIDS, the international community can look back with some pride. But we must also look ahead with resolve and commitment to reach our goal of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. There has been real progress in tackling the disease. More people than ever are on treatment. Since 2010, the number of children infected through mother‑to‑child transmission has dropped by half. Fewer people die of AIDS‑related causes each year. And people living with HIV are living longer lives. The number of people with access to life-saving medicines has doubled over the past five years, now topping 18 million. With the right investments, the world can get on the fast-track to achieve our target of 30 million people on treatment by 2030. Access to HIV medicines to prevent mother‑to‑child transmission is now available to more than 75 per cent of those in need.

In 2016, Pankh Portal – a dynamic website portal and career guidance and counseling tool – was launched to exclusively address the needs and aspirations of young, job-seeking women in Delhi. Watch to learn how the website and guidance tool prepare underserved women for employment.

Watch how a simple smartphone application is helping women combat domestic violence in the slums of Dharavi in Mumbai.

Globally, young women and men entering the labour force today have nearly the same level of educational qualifications. But they often don't face equal opportunities in the world of work. Women earn, on average, 24 percent less than men. In S&P; 500 companies, women hold only 4.6 percent of CEO positions and take under 20 percent of board seats. Yet research suggests that increasing the proportion of women on boards of directors is linked to better financial results and higher levels of corporate philanthropy.

Young women like Muskaan in Maharashtra are spreading the word that women can secure meaningful jobs. Watch how a growing cadre of committed young women are pushing change in their communities.

With UNDP support, 5,000 women have secured land deeds in Gujarat, with thousands more women farmers being aware of their rights and accessing government agriculture and allied schemes.

CleaningofRiver Ganga is a "monumental task" and requires efforts by the whole society, a top UN official said here today. "It cannot be cleaned overnight. We have to work with the local community, it is a challenging project," Haoliang Xu, director for United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Asia Pacific, said.

As the Government of India aims to improve the quality of rural housing through the flagship Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin, this study analyses a host of housing typologies from across the country that can be recommended to build quality, sustainable and disaster resilient homes. The study identifies a range of rural technologies, based on locally available skill sets and building materials, that can be adopted immediately by 11 states to realise this vision. The study is a result of a collaboration between the Ministry of Rural Development and the United Nations Development Programme in 10 states, and with the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, in 3 states.

Kiran, a vaccine cold chain handler in the desert state of Rajasthan in India, explains how the electronic vaccine intelligence network has made management of vaccine stocks much simpler. eVIN is a mobile and web app that enables real-time visibility of vaccine stocks across all vaccine storage centres encouraging effective vaccine logistics management.

India has pledged about USD 10.95 million for development activities across several UN bodies for the year 2017. "India has been a regular contributor to the UN since its founding. India believes that the UN should have the necessary resources to finance, in an appropriate and balanced manner, the activities and programmes of its three main pillars; Peace and security, Development and Human Rights," First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Mahesh Kumar said at a Pledging Conference for Development Activities on November 7.

India Skills Report 2017 presents a quantitative and qualitative analysis of demand and supply in the labour market. The report takes stock of the talent landscape by analysing the employability of youth and the needs and expectations of employers. Currently in its fourth edition, it also captures various initiatives taken by the government and its impact on economic growth. The report is a joint initiative by Confederation of Indian Industry, PeopleStrong, Wheebox, UNDP and AICTE.

ON DD News | Preparations and Investments Crucial for Disaster Risk Reduction Says Jaco Cilliers

One of the fastest growing economies in the world, India still faces significant challenges from rising inequality and service delivery shortfalls, particularly in poor communities. UNDP is helping the Government of India to meet these challenges through the Development Support Services. Funded with a combination of domestic and international finance, these allow the ready application of UNDP expertise and technical resources, on demand, to current and emerging development priorities. Services are carefully chosen to unlock rapid progress, on a large scale, under flagship national and state development programmes.

Functional and Aesthetically Pleasing Low-cost Housing Could Make A Difference

Stories from 25 years of environmental innovation for sustainable development