'Mobile games to make youths aware of Azadi’s unsung heroes'

NEW DELHI: Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday launched the ‘Azadi Quest’ — a series of online educational mobile games that will highlight the contribution of unsung heroes of the freedom struggle — as a part of the celebrations of 75 years of India’s independence.

The mobile games, developed in collaboration with Zynga India, are part of the government’s efforts to give a leg up to the animation, visual effects, gaming and comics (AVGC) sector as well as to entertain, engage and educate the youth about India’s history, its story of freedom, and to acknowledge the role of unsung heroes of freedom struggle.

“These games are an effort to tap into the huge market of online gamers and to educate them through games. Various arms of the Government of India have collected information about unsung freedom fighters from all corners of the country. Azadi Quest is an effort to make this learning of this knowledge engaging and interactive”, Thakur said.

Thakur said that India’s booming AVGC sector, which grew 28% in 2021 alone, has put the country among the global Top 5 in the gaming sector. He also said that the number of online gamers has risen by 8% from 2020 to 2021 and by 2023, it is expected to rise to 45 crore.