Simplifying Policies into Public Messages Recognised as Key Contribution
Raipur | Under the National Road Safety Month 2026, the Government of Chhattisgarh’s Lead Agency (Road Safety) and the Transport Department honoured UNICEF for its technical support in the state’s road safety communication and behaviour change campaign. The state-level felicitation ceremony was held at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium, Raipur.
The award on behalf of UNICEF was received by Abhishek Singh, Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Specialist, and Vishal Vaswani, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Officer.
While honouring UNICEF, Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai stated that achieving a sustained reduction in road accidents requires more than roads and laws—behaviour change among people is the most critical factor. Transport Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap thanked UNICEF for its continued technical support and strong partnership with the state government.
Shri S. Prakash, Secretary, Transport Department, emphasised the need for evidence-based communication and inter-departmental coordination to reduce road accidents. Shri Sanjay Sharma, representative of the Lead Agency (Road Safety), appreciated UNICEF’s role in translating complex policies into simple, people-friendly public messages.
More than 1,000 participants took part in the programme organised under National Road Safety Month 2026, including youth, students, NCC, NSS, Scouts and Guides, and other community volunteers. Several volunteers who made outstanding contributions to road safety were also felicitated on the occasion.
Speaking to the media after receiving the honour, UNICEF SBC Specialist Abhishek Singh said:
“Behaviour change lies at the core of all our programmes. UNICEF remains committed to strengthening people-centred behaviour change approaches across sectors—from road safety to health, nutrition, education, and child protection—to bring about sustainable positive change for children, adolescents, and families.”
The event was attended by Revenue Minister Shri Tank Ram Verma, Technical Education Minister Shri Guru Khushwant Saheb, MP Shri Brijmohan Agrawal, MLAs Shri Rajesh Munat, Shri Purandar Mishra, Shri Motilal Sahu, Shri Sunil Soni, Shri Anuj Sharma, Shri Indra Sahu, District Panchayat President Shri Naveen Agrawal, Mayor Ms. Meenal Choubey, along with a large number of citizens.
UNICEF to Continue Road Safety Education from Early Childhood
UNICEF’s partnership with the Chhattisgarh Government on road safety awareness continues. UNICEF has also provided technical support under the Honourable Chief Minister’s School Safety Programme, through which road safety activities were conducted in government schools across the state. The initiative aims to instil safe habits from an early age and build a strong road safety culture among children and adolescents.
UNICEF’s Communication Campaigns Win Public Appreciation
UNICEF integrated citizen-centric messages on helmet and seatbelt use, safe speed, avoiding drink-and-drive, and reducing mobile phone distractions while driving into its communication materials. This technical support received wide public appreciation across Chhattisgarh. Roma, a house wife from Raipur, shared that after seeing the campaign, she corrected some unsafe practices, including mobile phone use in addition to wearing a helmet.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works to reach the most disadvantaged children and adolescents in the world’s most challenging settings. In India, UNICEF partners with governments and communities to strengthen systems and promote evidence-based behaviour change approaches across health, nutrition, education, child protection, WASH, and social policy sectors, ensuring a better future for every child.
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