National Green Corps (NGC)

The Ministry has decided to intensify the Eco-clubs programme this year to cover all the districts in the country. This programme, which is being conducted for last several years with the objective of involving school children in environmental related activities and to sensitize them towards environmental concerns, used to cover about 1500-2000 schools every year. From this year onwards, the programme would cover about 55,000 schools (100 schools in each district). The members of the Eco-clubs set up in schools would constitute National Green Corps(NGC) and would be involved in conducting not only awareness programmes but also action oriented projects like plantation of trees, cleanliness drives in their localities and public places like Railway Stations, etc. besides interacting with communities to educate them about environmental issues. The programme is being conducted through the State Governments/UTs who will be provided financial assistance by the Central Government for organisation of training programmes for teachers, preparation of locally relevant resource material and for conducting the activities of the Eco-clubs. Central Government would also provide resource material to the States/UTs.

We all know that we are part of the environment we live in, and the solution to many a environmental problem lie in our attitude towards environment. Be it awareness to keep our surroundings clean or the realisation to conserve natural resources by re-using and recycling wherever possible, they all are attitudinal. It looks simple on the surface. But changing attitudes of 100 crore people, is not going to happen over night. The best route to attempt to bring about a change in the attitudes in the society is through children. They have no vested interest. They are impressionable. They are our future. Besides, they hold the single most important influence in any family. With this realisation the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India has decided to launch the National Green Corps Programme in all Districts of our vast country. The programme aims to establish Eco-clubs in 55,000 schools in the country.

Objectives

• To make children understand environment and environmental problems.
• To provide environmental education opportunities for school children.
• To utilise the unique position of school children as conduits for awareness to the society at large.
• To facilitate childrens participation in decision making in areas related to environment and development.
• To bring children into direct contact with the environmental problems facing the society they live in and make them think of solutions to them.
• To involve children in action based programmes related to environment in their surroundings.

• About 100 schools in every district in the country.
• In addition, all the Kendriya Vidyalaya schools, Navodaya Vidyalaya schools and all other schools under CBSE and ICSE.

• The scheme will operate through Eco-clubs to be formed in member schools.
• Each such club will have 30-50 children, who show interest in environment related issues.
• Each Eco-club will be supervised by an Incharge Teacher, who is selected from among the teachers of the member schools on the basis of his/her interest in environment related issues.
• Each Eco-club will be provided with a kit of resource material in the language of their preference, apart from a token monetary grant of Rs. 1000 per annum for organising different activities.
• There will be District Implementation and Monitoring Committee to supervise, organise training for incharge teachers, and monitor periodically the implementation of the scheme at the District level.
• There will be a State Steering Committee to oversee the implementation of the scheme.
• The State Nodal Agency will coordinate the implementation of the scheme in the State and organise related activities like training to master trainers.
• The National Steering Committee will give overall direction to the programme and ensure linkages at all levels.

What will the NGC children do?

In terms of knowledge, they get an insight into nature, its diversity and the need to preserve its fragile balance. At a personal level, each child would know what is his/her relation with nature and what we can do as individuals, group and society to preserve our environment. They would in turn sensitize their friends, families and neighbourhood towards nature. A list of activities is suggested for the Eco-clubs.

List of suggested activities for Eco-clubs

• Organise seminars, debates, lectures and popular talks on environmental issues in the schools.
• Field visits to environmentally important sites, including polluted and degraded sites, wildlife parks etc.
• Organise rallies, marches, human chains and street theatre at public places with a view to spread environmental awareness.
• Action based activities like tree plantation, cleanliness drives both within and out side the school campus.
• Grow kitchen gardens, maintain vermi-composting pits, construct water harvesting structures in schools, practice paper re-cycling etc.
• Organise awareness programmes against defecation in the public places, pasting posters in public places and propagate personal hygiene habits like washing hands before meals etc.
• Maintenance of public places like parks and gardens both within and outside the school campus.
• Mobilise action against environmentally unsound practices like garbage disposal in unauthorised places, unsafe disposal of hospital waste. etc.

Progress in implementation

The response from State Governments has been quite encouraging. Andhra Pradesh was the first State to start implementation. It has identified 2300 schools and also conducted training programmes for Master Trainers and In-charge teachers. Recognising the importance of the programme, the State Government is now actively considering extending the National Green Corps programme to all the High Schools in the State with its own funds.

17 more States/UTs have so far initiated steps to implement the programme. In addition, schools under CBSE, ICSE, KVS and NVS are also in the process of implementation. The Ministry is confident that by the end of the current year the programme would be implemented in all the States and UTs.