The Ministry of Urban Development on Wednesday said in a statement that it signed a deal with popular comic book series Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) to bring out a comic book on the Swachh Bharat Mission, a pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which he launched on Oct. 2 in 2014, the year he was elected to power.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Wednesday entails the publishing and distribution of "a special edition" of the comic book, the ministry said in its statement. "The 32-page
comic book will carry messages pertaining to sanitation and solid-waste components of the Swachh Bharat Mission," the ministry said in its statement.
The book will consist of "a series of inspirational stories from the mission, cleanliness rankings of cities, public figures and ambassadors, environmental impact, and stories of individuals and organizations that can inspire children to the concept of swachhata [cleanliness]." The ministry also plans an interactive workbook that will consist of tips and tricks that can be applied by children in their surroundings to achieve a cleaner locality.
"It will also include a section about how to organise community cleanliness drives and what other things they can do to make a remarkable impact on their immediate surroundings," the statement said of the book, which will be initially created in English and then translated into Hindi. The ministry will distribute it through the CBSE, Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navodaya Vidyalaya and other national boards.
Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu lauded ACK — one of the largest comic book series in India, founded in 1967 by Anant Pai and currently published in 20 languages — for tying up with the Swachh Bharat Mission.
He was quoted by the ministry statement as saying: "The youth and students are one of the biggest change-agents for any social transformation, and the comic book would aim to engage with them in an innovative manner and spread the message of cleanliness."
He also said he expects the comic book — as and when it comes out — to "inspire children to take steps and create a long-lasting impact on the cleanliness of their homes, schools, neighbourhoods and eventually their cities. This initiative will push the Swachh Bharat Mission one step further towards making Swachh Bharat a janandolan [people's revolution]."
