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Young people exhibited innovative solutions for social good.
Iconic landmarks across India light up in blue in support of children’s rights and equality
Innovation is crucial for bolstering the growth of Girls and Boys: Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi
IGNCA campus resonated with melodic tunes marking the foundation day of Kaladarsana Division
20th November, New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in collaboration with UNICEF observed World Children’s Day (WCD) on 20th November. World Children’s Day is UNICEF’s Global Day of Action for the children, taking place every year on 20th November, on the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The day was marked by focussing on exciting activities to promote child rights. On World Children’s Day (WCD) an exhibition was jointly organised by UNICEF and IGNCA on the theme ‘Innovate for Equality’. As part of the exhibition Fourteen young innovators from across India came together to showcase their ingenious work.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi, Hon’ble Minister of State of External Affairs and Culture. Speaking in a panel discussion focusing on equal opportunities and empowerment for children through promoting innovation, Smt. Lekhi said, “While innovation has always been pivotal for higher productivity and economic growth, it is also crucial for bolstering the growth of girls and boys. The foresight and visionary initiatives of the Government of India helps foster a culture of innovation among youth, one example is the Atal Innovation Mission and Startup.”
The variety of innovations presented by the talented young innovators had a common preference across all, to address barriers faced by different workers such as farmers and construction workers, persons with disabilities, the elderly aiming to ease their labour and improve their productivity and quality of life. Notable highlights included Smart Gloves for communication, Hope Arm for Para-Athletes, Shoe for the visually impaired Step & Sow Shoe for automatic seed dispensing, and a real-time sign language translator.
Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)) said, “Art and creative expression is an integral part of human culture, being human means to think, explore and innovate. Innovation is about creativity and culture promotes creativity,” and added that the IGNCA partnership with UNICEF is a step in this direction.
Ms. Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF’s India Representative, opened the panel discussion by sharing the significance of World Children’s Day and stressing the importance of instilling innovative thinking by giving girls and boys equal opportunities. She reiterated “Girls and boys, when given an equal opportunity to think, learn, experiment, and innovate, tend to develop gender-sensitive solutions to problems that affect those most. Innovative thinking encourages children’s awareness of both the challenges and opportunities around them. India’s climbing the ranks from 81st to 40th in the Global Innovation Index is a solid indicator of the potential of India’s innovation and the talent of India’s youth, several of whom we met today”.
Speakers in the panel included Prof. P. Jha, Dean, (Academics) IGNCA, Ms Deepali Upadhyay, Program Director, Atal Tinkering Lab; Mr. Daya Shankar, National Hindi Editor, Digital News18, young innovators and Ms. Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF India Representative.
In a breath-taking display, key landmarks in Delhi—Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House, IGNCA, Prime Minister’s Office, Qutub Minar, India Gate, and UN Offices—shone in blue, echoing #GoBlue’s impactful message for children’s rights. Similarly, across India, from Raj Bhawans, Legislative Assemblies, railway stations, airports, and iconic monuments like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminal, Charminar, Hussainabad Clock Tower, Howrah Bridge, and numerous other sites, the hue of blue unified in support of #ForEveryChild rights, fostering widespread attention and solidarity.
On Monday evening, the IGNCA campus resonated with melodic tunes marking the foundation day of Kaladarsana Division of IGNCA. Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, President, IGNCA, graced the event as the chief guest, alongside Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA as the special guest. Kaladarsana Division, IGNCA, orchestrated a splendid cultural program, featuring the Malik brothers—renowned Dhrupad singers, Pandit Prashant Malik and Pandit Nishant Malik, recipients of three National Awards. Their performance, commencing with the enchanting ‘Raagshri’, filled the audience with joy. Shri Vishwadeep, a celebrated Kathak dancer, captivated the attendees with his enthralling Kathak presentation.
