(a) the features of the TULIP urban learning programme;
(b) the number of internships offered and the funds allocated for each batch of the programme, State-wise;
(c) the number of internships obtained and the funds utilized in each batch of the programme, State-wise;
(d) the steps taken to widely publicize information about the programme; and
(e) the general scope of work done by the interns in the above programme?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
(SHRI KAUSHAL KISHORE)
(a) to (c) The Urban Learning Internship Program (TULIP) has been launched by the Government in pursuance of the announcement regarding internship opportunities to fresh graduates in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)made in Union Budget 2020-21 under the theme ‘Aspirational India’. Such a program, inter alia, has been considered necessary to reap the benefits of India’s demographic dividend in its efforts towards nation-building.
TULIP benefits ULBs and Smart Cities through the infusion of fresh ideas and energy with the engagement of youth in co-creation of solutions for solving India’s urban challenges. More importantly, it helps boost Government’s efforts to foster greater community partnership and Government-Academia-Industry-Civil Society linkages.
TULIP helps enhance the value-to-market of India’s graduates and help create a potential talent pool in diverse fields like urban planning, transport engineering, environment, innovative finance etc. thus creating prospective city managers. So as to promote TULIP, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has allowed ULBs/Smart Cities to pay stipend to interns from the Administrative & Office Expenses (A&OE) funds of existing Schemes/Missions of MoHUA being implemented by ULBs/Smart Cities.
The TULIP platform has received a significant response from the educated youth in the nation and more than 17,300 internship opportunities have been posted on the TULIP Portal out of which over 1,800 internships are ongoing/have been completed. The State/ ULB/City-wise easily-accessible dashboard of the progress of TULIP is available at https://smartnet.niua.org/tulip/.
(d) For ease of implementation of TULIP, a) Brochure b) Guidelines c) Handbook have been elaborately developed. These documents which are available on the portal (web address: https://internship.aicte-india.org and https://smartnet.niua.org/tulip/ ), spell out the objectives, eligibility conditions, details of the duration of the internship, terms of engagement, logistics and other operational features of the programs etc. In addition, the States & Smart Cities have been provided with suggestive Information, Education & Communication (IEC) material for dissemination of salient features of TULIP through various social media sources/handles. Numerous online hand-holding sessions have also been conducted with concerned officers of States, Smart Cities &
ULBs for educating them about the program and use of online TULIP Portal right from registration on the portal to printing out of the digital certificate on completion of the Internships by the Interns.
(e) Though TULIP provides complete flexibility to ULBs & Smart Cities to create internship opportunities as per their requirements, it has been seen that the major areas in which the internships have been offered by ULBs/Smart Cities are as follows:
• Support in conceptualization, design and implementation of major Smart Cities Mission programs such as Nurturing Neighborhoods Challenge, Streets 4 People and Cycles 4 Change Challenge etc.
• Redevelopment, restoration, reconstruction of heritage sites and monuments.
• Planning and designing layouts, drawings and development plans of smart roads, smart traffic systems, parks, playgrounds, beaches, housing and other urban infrastructure.
• Information Technology, Legal, Finance & Marketing related work of the ULBs/Smart cities/Parastatals.
• Preservation, conservation and rejuvenation of green cover and water bodies etc.
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