Saturday 30 August 2014

Launch of National Green Corps Scheme in Uttar Pradesh;August 29,2014(Saturday)

Today (August 29,2014;Saturday), at a  very well organized  and vibrant event  at City  Montessori School, Gomti Nagar auditorium , I launched (restarted) National Green Corps Scheme  as  Principal secretary (Forests and Environment,UP .The  event was organized by Directorate  of Environment ,UP  in association with UP Pollution Control Board.Directorate of Environment has been declared as State Nodal Agency and CEE,( Centre for Environment Education) is State Resource Agency for for National Green Corps(NGC) Scheme in UP.Here is what I spoke there as chief guest:
              National Green Corps Scheme has been launched today in UP , after a gap of about 7 years, in all the districts of UP.Each of the 75 districts will select 150 schools ,which will form Eco Clubs of students.Each Eco Club will have 30-50 students.In all we will reach 11500 schools and about 5 lac students and 11500 school teachers.We already have got funds from Government of India and these are available with Director, Environment.Special Secretary , Secondary education  will be Nodal Officer on behalf of Secondary Education Department.District Inspector of Schools will be Nodal Officer at the district level.The next is to select 150 secondary  schools in each district.These schools will be from any of the Boards . . .UP Board, CBSE or ICSE.There will be regular review and monitoring.The best Eco Club,the best school , and the best district will be selected and recognized.
                                     Four objectives of NGC are:
1.Education and awareness.
2.Outdoor visits and demonstrations.
3.Instilling a spirit of inquiry.
4.Active environment preservation steps.
Every selected school will create one Eco Club to meet these objectives.There will be one teacher in charge for each Eco Club.Gender ratio should be maintained in Eco Clubs in co-educational schools.This ratio should be maintained in the district as a whole , in each district.District committee (DIMC) will select Master trainers and send them for training at state level , to the directorate of environment.The training of teachers will be organized at the district level by DIMC.Funds of Rs 2500 per Eco Club  will be sent by the director Environment into the accounts of schools through RTGS online.Resource material will be provided through the districts to the schools.
                    Dr. Nina S. Roberts of San Francisco  University  published on 17th April ,2009 a research paper on the impact of NGC in many states and indicated very encouraging results.She said that environment degradation  involves economic as well as  cultural  issues.By education , we can make an impact on our attitudes as well as behaviour.
                    Important stakeholders of Eco Clubs are:
1.Department of Environment.
2.Department of Secondary Education.
3.Principals and Managers of schools.
4.Teachers.
5.Students.
6.State Resource Agency.
7.NGO's
                      Our stress is on qualitative outcomes.This requires:
1.Commitment leaders at state level as well as district level.
2.High quality training of teachers and officials.
3.Regular meetings of Eco Clubs.
4.Good quality and timely supply of resource material.
5.Involvement of parents.
6.Coordination between  schools, education department,CEE and Environment department.
7.Managers and Principals to make teachers in charge less loaded with work.
8.Publicity of Eco Clubs at local level.
                    VISION of National Green Corps is to create a mass movement for environment and ecology and against pollution and wastage.It is to create a Green Brigade in each school, in green uniform and with green Band.Such a Green Brigade can participate in Republic Day Parade.It has also been decided that we shall develop a separate website(not only a webpage as at present) and facebook account for UP National Green Corps.
                 Funding of NGC is inadequate in many ways:
1.Rs 2500 per Eco club is inadequate.This needs to be revised to Rs. Ten thousand.
2.Government of India gives funds for 250 schools per district.There is a need to cover all the schools.
3.Corporates also should contribute through corporate social responsibility funds, to supplement the resources contributed by the government.
I quote the following from GOI  literature:
"Preserving our planet for prosperity is a mammoth task and no single individual, group, organization or state can make it happen.Micro and macro level conservation efforts are on throughout the Globe, yet degradation  continues apace.Mass movements like National Green Corps are necessary to arrest this trend."
I appeal all of you to make this movement of National Green Corps a success.