NCERT, UNESCO bring comic book to address challenges of adolescence

Union Minister for Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, launched a novel comic book titled “Let’s Move Forward.” The launch event was held on August 29, 2023, at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi.

Union Minister for Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, launched a novel comic book titled “Let’s Move Forward.” The launch event was held on August 29, 2023, at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi.

The comic book developed jointly by NCERT and UNESCO New Delhi will serve as a useful resource to promote health and wellness of school going children in an engaging and relatable format.

Through captivating narratives and interesting characters, it covers a wide range of topics namely, growing up healthy; emotional well-being and mental health; interpersonal relationships; values and citizenship; gender equality; nutrition, health and sanitation; prevention and management of substance abuse; promotion of healthy lifestyles; reproductive health and HIV prevention; safety and security against violence and injuries; promotion of internet safety and responsible social media behaviour.

Comic book is aimed at enhancing health and well-being of school going children across the nation.

Pradhan highlighted that this book will motivate students to prioritize holistic well-being while entertaining them through storytelling, with key focus on good health and wellness. He also stressed on the importance of stories in conveying important messages such as mental health and hoped that more such comic books will be developed in future.

The comic book imparts life skills essential for fostering responsible and health-conscious behaviour among adolescents. This innovative approach serves to not only disseminate health-related knowledge but also facilitate the acquisition of life skills necessary for comprehensive personal development. It is accessible in multiple languages, including Hindi, English, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odiya, Tamil, and Telugu, to ensure inclusivity across linguistic diversity.

The “Let’s Move Forward” comic book will be distributed across various educational and health institutions nationwide. Its distribution will encompass State School Education Departments, SCERTs, Colleges of Teacher Education (CTEs), Institutes of Advanced Study in Education (IASEs), District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs), Block Institutes of Teacher Education (BITEs), and state health departments. Additionally, the comic books will be disseminated to the 29,000 schools affiliated with the CBSE, thereby expanding its outreach. An electronic version of the comic book will also be accessible on the Ministry of Education (MoE), NCERT, UNESCO, and DIKSHA websites.