The kind of textbooks we wished to have as children.

As part of the SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) textbook project in Gangtok, Sikkim, I helped create culturally grounded illustrations for primary school learning materials used across the state’s government schools. Working with a team of illustrators and designers, our work aimed to reflect the local social, environmental, and cultural context of Sikkim’s children, reinforcing lessons tied to environmental studies, biodiversity, and community life — topics integrated into the revised curriculum in collaboration with educators, teachers, and academic partners. The illustrations were designed to make learning visual and meaningful, connecting textbook content with the lived experiences of young learners and supporting sustainable education goals within the state’s primary education framework.