Ask a ten-year-old today about the rings of Saturn or the coding logic behind a video game, and they will likely blow your mind with their knowledge. We are living in a golden age of STEM. As parents, we invest heavily in robotics kits, math tuition, and space camps. We want our children to understand the science of the universe.
But here is a question that kept me up at night: Do they understand the science of their own society?
As someone passionate about human rights, I’ve spent years trying to understand the complex machinery of justice. I’ve noticed a startling “Civics Gap.” We teach our children that the Indian Constitution exists, usually as a dry, two-page chapter they must memorize for a social studies test. However, we rarely teach them how it works for them. We teach them facts about the Constitution, but we don’t teach them the feeling of justice.
Knowing that “Article 14 exists” is a fact.
Knowing that you have the right to be treated fairly when a bully corners you on the playground?
That is Civic Intelligence.
In my work, I’ve seen that the most “successful” people aren’t just those who can solve a quadratic equation; they are the ones who understand the rules of the room. They know how to speak up when they see an injustice, how to assert their rights, and how to respect others’ duties. This is the missing curriculum in our homes today.
If a child doesn’t understand their Right to Equality, they might accept being mistreated as “just the way things are.” If they don’t understand their Duty to the Environment, they might think a polluted river is someone else’s problem to fix. When we leave this gap in their education, we aren’t just raising kids who are bored by politics. We are raising vulnerable kids.
This is why I wrote The Superhero Formula. I wanted to take the “boring” out of Civics and replace it with “Brave.”
Think about it: a child who knows their rights is significantly less likely to be bullied. Why? Because they have an internal moral compass that tells them, “This is wrong, and I have the power to say so.” A child who understands their duties is naturally more likely to lead. They are the ones who take ownership of the park, the classroom, and eventually, the boardroom.
In the book, I use a sci-fi adventure to bridge this gap. We don’t talk about dusty law books; we talk about “The Formula.” We show how the Constitution is, in fact, a high-tech manual for a functioning civilization. By the time children finish the book, they don’t just know about the law — they feel like its owners.
We are doing a great job of raising smart kids. They can calculate the distance to Mars and build apps before they can drive. But let’s not stop there. Let’s give them the tools to create a better India right here on Earth.
Let’s start raising influential citizens, because a child who knows how to thrive in society is one who can never truly be lost.
About the Author
Indu Balakrishnan is passionate about Human Rights and Duties and believes deeply in empowering children through constitutional values. She is the author of The Superhero Formula Starts with You, a book designed to inspire and equip the next generation of Indian leaders through the magic of the Indian Constitution.
Awards & Recognitions
- Rabindranath Tagore Hall of Fame Award – Outstanding Contribution as an Excellent Author
Welred Foundation (Non-Profit Organization) - Pride of Bharat Awards 2025
I Can Foundation - International Achievers’ Award 2025
Gyan Uday Foundation - Tamil Nadu State Award – Children’s Literature (Fiction)
Indian Literature and Arts Society - Sahitya Sparsh Awards 2026 – Best Fiction
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.in/Superhero-Formula-Starts-You/dp/B0FD367236