25 JanuaryNews Literacy Day · IM Lab marks it every year in memory of Sir Mark Tully. First edition 25 January 2027. · in memory of Sir Mark Tully
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Informed is Empowered

IM Lab's belief: a person who can find and check information can make their own choices.

1 Basic

What it means

"Informed is Empowered" is IM Lab's slogan. In Hindi: जो सूचित है वह सशक्त है. It means a person who knows how to find true information, and check it, can make good choices for themselves, their family and their country.

Why it matters

Information is all around you: on phones, TV, in school and at home. Some of it is true, some is false, and some is trying to sell you something. If you can tell the difference, nobody can easily fool you. That is real power.

2 Key concept

A story from the epics

In the Ramayana, the monkey army reaches the sea while searching for Sita. Lanka is far across the water and nobody thinks they can jump that far. Hanuman sits quietly. Then wise old Jambavan reminds Hanuman who he is and how strong he is. Once Hanuman knows the truth about his own strength, he grows in confidence and leaps across the sea.

Hanuman always had the power. Knowing the truth is what let him use it.

Source: Valmiki Ramayana, end of Kishkindha Kanda (Jambavan speaks to Hanuman).

A story from today

A girl in Class 8 knows one simple fact: you need your UPI PIN only to send money, never to receive it. One day her grandfather gets a call saying he has won a prize and must enter his PIN to receive it. She stops him. One piece of true information saved her family's money.

What if...? Climb the question ladder

Each question leads to the next. Try to answer it yourself before you open it.

  1. 1What if I do not know something?

    That is normal. Being informed does not mean knowing everything. It means knowing how to find out and how to check.

  2. 2What if the information is in English and my family speaks another language?

    You can help by explaining it at home in your own language. Sharing true information makes your whole family stronger.

  3. 3What if too much information confuses me?

    Ask the six questions: who, what, when, where, why and how. They help you sort what matters.

Try this

Learn one safety fact this week (for example: never share an OTP). Teach it to one adult at home in your home language. Ask them to teach it to one more person.

3 Go deeper

IM Lab books & programmes

Workshops & cyber clubs

Related terms

Citizen (page being written)Mission (page being written)News Literacy (page being written)Scientific Temper (page being written)Vision (page being written)

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