New Delhi : The Indira Gandhi National Open University has come up with new courses in rehabilitation psychology and urban governance to create skilled manpower and train professionals.

The Post Graduate Diploma in Urban Governance, being launched in collaboration with Mumbai's All India Institute of Local Self Government, will upgrade the skills and knowledge of candidates employed in various urban local bodies and NGOs.

"There is a dearth of urban planners in the country. At present 14 institutes in the country produce planners at the rate of 400 per year," IGNOU Pro Vice Chancellor Latha Pillai said. "There is also an urgent need to go beyond just a diploma and synergize the research that's been happening in various institutes on this topic," she added.

The post graduate diploma in rehabilitation psychology will train students to help people cope up with disability and its effects. It is expected to be beneficial for both field psychologists and fresh graduates willing to pursue a career in psychology. "The course will help students understand the psychology of disabled people in a better way, facilitating the process of rehabilitation for them," a university official said.