HUDCO celebrates 'World Habitat Day' with painting competition for underprivileged children

New Delhi: The Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd. (HUDCO), a Navratna NBFC-IFC under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), marked World Habitat Day with its long-standing tradition of hosting a painting competition for underprivileged children — an initiative that has been nurturing creativity and awareness for over three decades.

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To commemorate the occasion, an exhibition showcasing the award-winning paintings from this year’s competition was inaugurated by Minister of State, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The winners were felicitated by the the Minister in the presence of MoHUA Secretary Srinivas Kathikithala; HUDCO's Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Sanjay Kulshrestha; MoHUA's Joint Secretary Kuldip Narayan; and UN Resident Coordinator (India) Shombi Sharp. The ceremony also featured the release of three special HUDCO publications.

The 2025 edition of the painting competition, held on September 20 at HUDCO Bhawan, IHC Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, witnessed enthusiastic participation from 176 children representing various NGOs and orphanages. The contest was divided into two age groups — Junior (8–11 years) and Senior (12–14 years) — and was centered around the United Nations’ theme for World Habitat Day 2025, “Urban Solutions to Crisis.” The theme encouraged children to creatively express their ideas on addressing urban challenges and envisioning resilient, inclusive, and sustainable cities.

Highly valued by MoHUA and participating NGOs, HUDCO’s annual painting competition provides children from vulnerable communities with a meaningful platform to share their vision of ideal urban living.

Reinforcing its commitment to sustainable and inclusive urban development, HUDCO continues to support such initiatives that promote creativity, awareness, and empowerment among the youth. The enduring success of this programme reflects HUDCO’s broader mission of contributing to the creation of equitable and sustainable urban futures in line with global development goals.

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