Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced a newly launched comic book on Tuesday, offering adolescents guidance on comprehensive well-being. Covering a spectrum of topics, including interpersonal relationships, gender equality, and substance abuse prevention, the comic book titled ‘Let’s Move Forward’ aims to motivate students to prioritize holistic health.

Pradhan emphasized the book’s focus on “good health and wellness” and its ability to engage and educate through storytelling. He unveiled the book and expressed that it serves as a source of inspiration for students to embrace well-rounded well-being.

The ‘Let’s Move Forward’ comic book addresses the 11 key components of the School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP), as outlined by Pradhan. These components span a wide array of subjects, such as emotional well-being, gender equality, healthy lifestyles, nutrition, reproductive health, internet safety, and the prevention of substance abuse.

Initiated under the Ayushman Bharat campaign in April 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the SHWP is a joint endeavor of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It aims to offer health education, disease prevention, and enhanced healthcare access through wellness centers within educational institutions.

Collaboratively developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and UNESCO New Delhi, the ‘Let’s Move Forward’ comic book imparts essential life skills to encourage responsible and health-conscious behavior among adolescents. It addresses an important need for equipping young individuals with skills that contribute to their overall development.

The comic book is thoughtfully crafted to be accessible in numerous languages, ensuring inclusivity across linguistic diversity. It is available in Hindi, English, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odiya, Tamil, and Telugu.

The distribution of the book will encompass State School Education Departments, Colleges of Teacher Education (CTEs), Institutes of Advanced Study in Education (IASEs), and other educational and health institutions nationwide. Notably, the book’s reach will extend to the 29,000 schools affiliated with the CBSE, a move aimed at enhancing its impact.

Moreover, an electronic version of the comic book will be made available on various platforms, including the Ministry of Education (MoE), NCERT, UNESCO, and DIKSHA websites, further promoting its accessibility and utilization.

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