Lucknow, Jan 17 : Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission (UPSDM) has launched a self-defence training pilot project for 10,000 girls in 16 cities of the state. The programme, which is being implemented by the Sports, Physical Education, Fitness and Leisure - Skills Council (SPEFL-SC) under the UPSDM's Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) initiative, aims to teach self-defence techniques and strategies to women so that they can fight back against harassment and assault. Minister of vocational education and skill development, Kapil Dev Aggarwal, who announced the launch of the three-day self-defence training program, distributed "Nirbhaya Kits" containing chain alarm, safety whistle and, spray to each candidate at Lucknow's ITI, Aliganj. He also said similar training also started in three other centres-- ITI Mohanganj, Mahila ITI Charbagh and ITI Charbagh. "By learning self-defence techniques, women gain confidence and skills needed to protect themselves and fight back against attackers. This programme is expected to have a significant impact on the lives of the 10,000 beneficiaries and UPSDM is committed to providing ongoing support and training to ensure that these skills remain relevant and effective in the long-term for the state's daughters," the minister said. "The initiative has been started as a pilot project in 16 districts and will be completed in six months. After this, it will start in every district's ITI and at UPSDM training centres," he said. /IANS