Top Honours for an ‘Interactive’ Approach that is Transforming Child Protection Training for 96,000 Indian Civil Servants
Social Impact Creative Consultancy 'Kaboom' Wins the Best Design Project Award at IBDA 2026
In a significant shift in how public officials approach child rights, over 96,000 civil servants across India have adopted a new narrative-led learning programme titled KAWACH. Developed to bridge the gap between complex legal frameworks and the human reality of child protection, the initiative is now expected to expand into eight additional languages following high demand within government departments. Recognising this innovative approach to public service training, KAWACH was recently honoured with the Best Design Project award at India’s Best Design Awards (IBDA) 2026. The project was developed by social impact creative consultancy Kaboom, in partnership with the British Asian Trust (BAT) and Mission Karmayogi.
Child protection is often treated as a matter of legal compliance. However, KAWACH (hosted on the iGOT Karmayogi platform) reimagines this by replacing traditional, text-heavy modules with a visual language inspired by children’s sketchbooks. Instead of standard chapters, the course uses metaphorical storytelling and two original animated films to introduce sensitive themes through the perspective of a child.
“The challenge was to inform without overwhelming,” says Nirmala Nair, Founder of Kaboom. “Child protection is one of the most sensitive areas of public service. We used design not just to communicate, but to change how people learn and respond. The IBDA recognition is encouraging because it validates the idea that empathy-led design can fundamentally alter the way public systems function.”
The programme’s success lies in its ability to translate the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other child rights frameworks into relatable, narrative-driven experiences. This approach has led to high engagement rates on the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) platform, prompting the government to scale the programme nationally in multiple regional languages.
