School children to learn the ABCs of investment: CDSL to teach investment basics to 21,000 students—what is the full plan?

School children will now learn the ropes of investing, saving, and proper money management. The CDSL Investor Protection Fund (IPF)—an initiative of Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL)—has launched a fantastic initiative in collaboration with 'Yuva Unstoppable'. Under this program, approximately 21,000 students across 60 schools in the country will receive comics from the renowned 'Amar Chitra Katha' series, all centered around the theme of financial literacy.

**What makes these comics special?**
CDSL IPF and Amar Chitra Katha have collaborated to create illustrated stories that teach children about saving, investing, and responsible financial behavior. These stories are tailored to the children's age and level of understanding, making complex financial concepts easy to grasp.

**Knowledge available in 12 languages**
A notable feature is that this comic series is available in 12 languages. However, the initial rollout includes English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, and Urdu. The comics currently being distributed are aimed at students in higher grades, while work is rapidly progressing on similar comics for younger students.

**What do the experts say?**
Sudhish Pillai, Head of the CDSL IPF Secretariat, stated, "Financial literacy is a skill best learned at a young age. Just as investing benefits from the power of compounding, learning early in life offers similar long-term advantages. Through these comics, our goal is to instill sound financial habits in children from an early age."

Amitabh Shah, founder of Yuva Unstoppable, remarked, "Schools are where children acquire skills that serve them for a lifetime. We are delighted to partner with CDSL IPF to bring this essential education to schools."

Meanwhile, Gayatri Chandrasekaran noted that money matters are often not discussed with children. "We are creating stories that explain saving and investing in an engaging and fun way," she said. Using a Multimedia Approach

To make financial literacy more engaging, CDSL IPF has produced several books, such as 'The Unofficial Ustad', 'The Golden Peacock Fraud', and 'The Garden of Prosperity'. These are available in both print and digital formats. An animated film based on 'The Garden of Prosperity' has also been created. Through print, digital, and video mediums, CDSL aims to bring financial literacy to every child.