Be a Desh Premi: The Little Things That Make India Great is a fun Independence Day learning module that helps children understand what it means to be a responsible and caring citizen. Through an engaging story filled with humour, surprises and familiar characters, children discover that patriotism is not only about celebrating our country—it is also about caring for it through the small things we do every day.
The module focuses on saving water and electricity, keeping our surroundings clean, helping others, showing kindness and taking responsibility for our actions. It also celebrates India’s diversity and helps children understand that people with different cultures, languages, traditions and foods can come together as one India.
The module combines story-based learning, print-and-play activities and interactive digital games, giving children opportunities to understand, identify and practise responsible choices.
What Children Learn Through the Story
The story introduces the idea of the Indian of the Year Award and shows children that being a good citizen is not only about getting good marks or winning competitions. The three unexpected award winners demonstrate how simple actions can have a big impact.
Through the story, children learn to:
- Understand that patriotism also means caring for our country and the people who live in it.
- Recognise that small everyday actions can make a big difference.
- Understand the importance of saving water and electricity.
- Recognise their responsibility to keep their surroundings clean and avoid littering.
- Understand the value of helping others and being kind.
- See that being responsible means doing the right thing without always waiting to be told.
- Appreciate India’s unity in diversity through its different cultures, foods, dances and traditions.
- Understand that responsible citizens help make their school, community and country better.
The story also encourages children to think beyond awards and marks and recognise that responsibility, kindness, helpfulness and care for the environment are important qualities too.
What Children Learn Through the Print Activities
The print activities help children apply and reinforce the ideas introduced in the story through simple, engaging tasks.
Through activities such as sorting waste, identifying responsible choices, spot-the-difference and mazes, children practise:
Responsible Citizenship
Children identify actions that show responsibility and distinguish them from actions that do not. They learn to think about how everyday choices affect their school and surroundings.
Environmental Responsibility
Children practise recognising ways to:
- Save water
- Save electricity
- Avoid wasting resources
- Keep their surroundings clean
- Put waste in the correct place
Helping Others
Through situations showing children helping or not helping others, children think about kind, helpful and responsible behaviour and make choices about what they would do.
Observation and Thinking
Activities such as spot the difference and mazes encourage children to observe carefully, follow information, think logically and find solutions.
Reflection and Real-Life Application
The activities encourage children to connect what they see in the games with situations they may experience at school, at home and in their everyday lives.
What Children Learn Through the Digital Games
The interactive digital games give children opportunities to make choices, identify patterns and solve problems in a fun and active way.
Through games such as:
Sort the Trash
Children practise identifying and sorting waste correctly, building awareness of cleanliness and responsible waste disposal.
Save Water & Electricity
Children identify actions that conserve water and electricity and distinguish them from actions that waste these resources. This helps them recognise responsible choices in everyday situations.
Are You Helping or Not?
Children look at different situations and decide whether a person is being helpful and responsible. This develops awareness of kindness, empathy and helping others.
Spot the Difference
Children practise careful observation and attention to detail while looking closely at scenes.
Other Thinking Games
Children practise problem solving, reasoning, decision making and following a path towards a goal.
Together, the digital games allow children to observe, think, choose and act, helping turn the values introduced in the story into practical decision-making skills.
Overall Learning Outcomes
By completing the module, children will develop:
Citizenship & Patriotism
- Appreciation of India’s diversity.
- An understanding that patriotism includes caring for the country and contributing to its well-being.
- Awareness that children can also play a role in making India better.
Responsibility & Action
- The ability to make responsible everyday choices.
- Awareness of the importance of saving water and electricity.
- A willingness to keep surroundings clean and dispose of waste responsibly.
- An understanding of the importance of helping others.
Life & Thinking Skills
- Observation
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Decision making
- Reasoning
- Reflection
Social & Emotional Skills
- Empathy
- Kindness
- Cooperation
- Willingness to help
- Initiative
- Responsible behaviour
Environmental Awareness
- Conservation of water and electricity.
- Awareness of waste and litter.
- Cleanliness of school, home and public spaces.
- Care for shared surroundings and resources.
Character & Values
- Responsibility
- Respect
- Integrity
- Helpfulness
- Kindness
- Initiative and leadership through everyday actions
Alignment with NEP 2020 & Global Educational Best Practices
This module is based on the principles of NEP 2020 and is inspired by global educational best practices. Rather than simply telling children what responsible citizenship means, the module allows them to experience, identify and apply these ideas through a story, print activities and digital games.
NEP 2020
The module supports NEP 2020 through:
- Experiential learning: Children learn through situations, choices, games and real-life examples rather than only through explanation.
- Story-based learning: The story provides a meaningful context for understanding responsibility, patriotism, kindness, cleanliness and conservation.
- Competency-based learning: Children practise observation, reasoning, problem solving, decision making and responsible action.
- Life skills and values: Activities encourage responsibility, empathy, cooperation, initiative and respect.
- Environmental awareness: Children identify practical ways to save water and electricity, reduce waste and keep their surroundings clean.
- Joyful learning: Learning takes place through an engaging story, hands-on print activities and interactive games.
Global Educational Best Practices
The module draws on principles reflected in leading educational approaches around the world:
Finland – Child-centred and collaborative learning
Children learn through engaging situations and activities that encourage them to think, participate and make connections with everyday life.
New Zealand Curriculum – Participating and Contributing
The module encourages children to take responsibility for their surroundings, help others and understand that they can contribute to their school and community.
OECD Learning Compass 2030 – Taking Responsibility
Children are encouraged to make thoughtful choices, take responsibility for their actions and understand that their everyday decisions can affect others and their environment.
UNESCO – Sustainability and Environmental Awareness
The module introduces children to simple, age-appropriate actions that support sustainability, including saving water and electricity, reducing litter and caring for shared surroundings.
Learning Through Three Connected Experiences
The strength of the module lies in how its three components work together:
Story → Understand
Children see responsible citizenship through characters and real-life situations.
Print Activities → Identify & Practise
Children recognise responsible and irresponsible choices and apply what they have learned.
Digital Games → Observe, Choose & Solve
Children actively make decisions, solve problems and reinforce responsible behaviour.
Together, these experiences help children move from understanding a value to recognising it and finally applying it to everyday situations.