National Green Corps (NGC)

 

1.1 Introduction

We all know that we are part of the environment we live in. And the solution to many environmental problems lie in our attitude towards environment. Be it awareness to keep our surrounding clean or the realization to conserve natural resources by re-using and re-cycling wherever possible, they all are attitudinal. On the surface it looks simple. But changing the attitudes of 100crore of people is not going to happen overnight. The best way to attempt to bring about a change in the attitudes in the society is through the children. They have not vested interests. They are impressionable. They are our future. They are the single most important influence in any family with this realization the Ministry of Environment & Forest, Government of India has decided to launch the National Green Corps Programme (NGC) in all District of our vast country.

 

1.2 Objects

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

 

1.3 Coverage

• The NGC programme will be implemented in all the States and Union Territories in the country.

 

1.4 Membership

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

 

1.5 Methodology

• The scheme will be operated through Eco-Clubs to be formed in member schools.
• Each Club will have 30-50 children, who show interest in environmental related issues.
• Each Eco-clubs will be supervised by a teacher In-charge, who is selected from among the teacher of the member schools on the basis of his/her interest in the environmental issues.
• Each Eco-clubs will be provided with a kit of resource material in the language of their preference apart from a token monitory grant of Rs.2500/- per annum for organizing different activities (please see the suggested list of activities).
• There will be District Implementation and Monitoring Committee to supervise, organized training for In-charge teachers, and monitors periodically the implementation of scheme at 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 organize related activities like training to Master Trainers.
• The National Steering Committee will give overall direction to the programme and ensure linkages at all level.

 

2.1 Criterion for selection of schools

• All Kendriya Vidyalayas, Novadaya Vidayalas and all other schools under under CBSE and ICSE.
• About 100 schools in each District under the respective State/UT. The schools must be preferably of secondary and senior secondary level. In the Districts where it is difficult to find 100 secondary and senior secondary level schools, upper primary schools can be selected.
• Those schools who have prior experience in running Eco-clubs or other environmental related programmes would be given preference.

 

2.2  Selection of master trainers

• From each district, the District Implementation and Monitoring Committee would select one or two Master Trainers. They can be from In-charge teachers of selected schools. They would be first trained at the State Capital. They in turn would train In-charge teachers in the District.

 

3.1  List of suggested activities for Eco-Clubs

• Organize seminars, debates, lectures and popular talks on environmental issues in the schools.
• Fields visits to environmentally important sites including polluted and degraded sites wildlife parks etc.
• Organizing rallies, marches, human chains and street theater at public places with a view to spread environmental awareness.
• Action base activities like tree plantation, cleanliness drive both within and outside the schools campus.
• Grow kitchen garden, maintain vermin-composting pit, construct water harvesting structures in schools, practice paper re-cycling etc.
• Prepare inventories of polluting source and forward it to enforcement agencies.
• Organized awareness programmes against defecation in public places, pasting posters in public place and to propagate personal hygiene habits like washing hand before meal etc.
• Maintenance of public places like parks, garden both within and outside the school campus.
• Mobilize action against environmentally unsound practices like garbage disposal in unauthorized place, unsafe disposal of hospital waste etc.

 

4.1 State Steering Committee:

 

(a)  Composition:

 

State Steering Committee		Composition
1	Principal Secretary/ Commissioner & Secretary, Forest	Chairman
2	Chairman, Nagaland Pollution Control Board or His Representative	Member
3	Principal Chief Conservator of Forest	Member
4	Secretary: a. Education & b. Agriculture	Member
5	One Representative of Resource Agency	Member
6	Two eminent NGOs working on Environmental Issues ( To be nominated by the Chairman )	Member
7	Member Secretary, Nagaland Pollution Control Board	Member Secretary

 

State Government can nominate other officers and individuals considered relevant to this committee.

 

(b)  Role:

1. To coordinate implementation of the scheme.
2. To encourage different government departments to actively help the Eco clubs.
3. To review periodically the implementation of the scheme and suggest activities to be taken at district level.
4. To select the best district, best Eco-club and give publicity to their activities so that other districts and Eco-clubs can adopt them.

 

DISTRICT IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING COMMITTEE

 

District Implementation and Monitoring Committee		Composition
1	Deputy Commissioner	Chairman
2	District Education Officer/DIS	Member
3	District Agriculture Officer	Member
4	Two eminent NGOs working on the Environmental issues (To be nominated by D.C.)	Member
5	Two Head Masters of locally selected Schools (To be nominated by D.C.)	Member
6	Representative of the resource Agency	Member
7	Divisional Forest Officer ( Territorial )	Member-Secretary

 

The State Government can nominate any individual who is relevant to this committee.

 

4.2  Role of Teacher in-charge of Eco-Club

The Teacher In-charge of Eco-club plays a key role in the implementation of the scheme. He/She should encourage more and more student to join the club. He/She should take imaginative steps to implement the activities suggested in the scheme, which are relevant to that region. Main functions of Teacher In-charge are:-

 

1. To assemble the Eco-club member every week for one hour at least and take up some activity.
2. To encourage the students to suggest activities for the following weeks and make list of it. Make necessary preparations for their execution in consultation with the Headmaster/Principal.
3. Send monthly activity report to the District committee for taking up District level common programme.