NEW DELHI: o encourage children to explore the capital’s rich heritage, the Delhi government is set to introduce a passport-like booklet for students of Classes IV to VI featuring 23 monuments across the city. This, they said, will allow the students to collect stamps during visits and learn about the city’s history in an interactive manner.
The programme has been developed by the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation in collaboration with the education department and is expected to be rolled out after August 15—for six months. Students who complete visits to all 23 monuments and collect the stamps will be eligible for awards and recognition from the tourism department.
The booklet, modelled on a travel passport, will carry the student’s photograph and basic details on the opening page. The remaining pages will feature the monuments along with brief descriptions and designated spaces for stamps that children can collect during their visits, sources said.
“The idea is to make heritage exploration exciting for children,” they added. Instead of viewing monuments only through textbooks, students will be encouraged to visit them, learn about their history and understand the city’s cultural landscape firsthand.
The booklets are proposed to be distributed through schools with the support of the education department and school management committees. Since entry to most monuments is free for children, the department said the passport will encourage students to visit the sites with their families.
Arrangements would be made at the monuments for children to get their passports stamped after completing the visit. Dedicated counters or designated personnel are expected to handle the stamping process, he added.
After collecting stamps from all 23 monuments, participants will be required to submit the completed passport to the Central Reservation System (CRS) office. After completion of the six-month campaign, the department will choose students who submitted their passports at CRS through a draw of lots and will award prize money. The list of 23 sites will also include museums, such as the National Museum.
Earlier this year, chief minister Rekha Gupta had announced that the tourism department had been allocated `412 crore in the Budget. The Budget also earmarked `173 crore for the art, culture and language department.
Offers cash rewards to students on completing visits to 23 spots
After collecting stamps from all 23 monuments, participants will be required to submit the completed passport to the Central Reservation System (CRS) office. After completion of the six-month campaign, the department will choose students who submitted their passports at CRS through a draw of lots and will award prize money. The list of 23 sites will also include museums, such as the National Museum.
