Latest news with #RedRibbonClubs


Time of India
9 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Tripura CM mulls sex education in Class VIII-XII curriculum
Agartala: Tripura CM on Friday said the state govt is considering the introduction of sex education in the curriculum for students in Classes VIII to XII. Speaking at the legislative forum in the state assembly, Saha emphasised the importance of this initiative, stating, "We are considering incorporating sex education and HIV/AIDS awareness in the school curriculum in Class VIII-XII. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This is not a matter of controversy, it is a necessity." He also encouraged community involvement, suggesting that MLAs could allocate funds to support HIV/AIDS patients. Saha highlighted the equal impact of HIV/AIDS on both boys and girls and stressed the importance of engaging youth in sports, cultural activities, and other creative pursuits to steer them away from drug addiction and reduce their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. He said Tripura was the first state in India to introduce Red Ribbon Clubs in schools and plans to create youth ambassadors to lead campaigns against drug abuse. Expressing concern over the rising number of HIV/AIDS cases and injecting drug users, particularly among teenagers, Saha said an average of 120 new HIV infections are reported each month in the state, despite preventive efforts by the state AIDS Control Society. In response to a proposal by Congress legislator Sudip Roybarman, the chief minister supported the idea of adding a dedicated chapter on sex education and HIV/AIDS to the school curriculum to raise awareness among the most vulnerable age group. Additionally, he suggested that each MLA could allocate Rs 1 lakh per year from their area development fund for initiatives against drugs and HIV.


The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Scheme to grant monthly financial assistance to children affected by HIV/AIDS launched
The Health department on Tuesday launched one of its key budget announcements to grant monthly financial assistance of ₹1,000 to 7,618 children affected by HIV/AIDS for their education, medical and nutritional needs. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, who launched the scheme at an event held to mark the World Blood Donors Day, said that during 2009-2010, former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had launched a trust fund for children affected by HIV/AIDS with a corpus of ₹5 crore. Through this, financial assistance was being provided every year for children aged below 18 years towards their education, medical and nutritional needs. This year, an announcement was made during the department's debate on the demand for grants for 2025-2026 to provide monthly assistance of ₹1,000 to children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Along with this, the department also launched 11 Red Ribbon Clubs to create awareness on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections among college students. An announcement to create awareness of HIV/AIDS among adolescents - students of classes VIII, IX and XI in 9,830 schools in the State - was made earlier. In a step towards this, it was decided to impart life skills training to students of 100 schools. The initiative was launched in 11 schools on the occasion, a press release said.