An innovative health education curriculum and program, designed by US-based scientist Dr Rahul Mehra, who also serves as India’s National Representative for the UNESCO Chair for Global Health & Education, has propelled a Faridabad government school onto the global stage. Government Girls Senior Secondary School (GGSSS), NIT-5 Faridabad, has been named among the top 10 finalists for the World’s Best School Prizes 2025, awarded by UK-based T4 Education, for its outstanding success in embedding health and well-being into daily learning.
GGSSS, NIT-5, has been shortlisted under the ‘Supporting Healthy Lives’ category for its achievements in transforming the lives of at-risk girls by integrating nutrition, physical well-being, and mental health support into everyday learning. This holistic model has helped remove barriers to education, ensuring that no girl is left behind.
Dr Rahul Mehra is the founder of Tarang Health Alliance, an NGO that has championed comprehensive health education across schools. Under his guidance, Tarang Health Alliance has developed a health curriculum with student workbooks and implemented this integrated approach at GGSSS, NIT-5, by facilitating teacher training, classroom education with innovative resources, engagement with parents of the students, and sustained policy advocacy to make health education an integral part of schooling.
Dr Mehra said, “It is a proud moment to see a government school from Haryana receive this global recognition. I am thankful to Ms. Khushbu Kumari, our health educator at the school, for doing an excellent job I in executing our school health program and to Lal Path Labs Foundation for funding this initiative. As India’s UNESCO Chair representative, I firmly believe that every school should implement a health education curriculum. It will improve every child’s health behaviour and academic performance and equip them with the skills for longtime success and well-being. GGSSS, NIT-5 Faridabad stands as proof of what schools can achieve when students, teachers, parents and communities unite around holistic well-being. This success motivates us to replicate this model across the country at large.”
In 2024, Tarang Health Alliance began collaborating with the Haryana government to introduce their school health curriculum in 12 government schools, setting the stage for wider adoption in Haryana. Tarang has implemented their curriculum in various private schools of Delhi NCR, Chandigarh are Jaipur since 2020 and last year, it was implemented in 18 private schools in these regions. GGSSS, NIT-5 now serves as an inspiration for schools aiming to prioritise health education across the country. Improving the health of the students has been shown to improve their academic performance as well.
