The Rajasthan state education department has issued a directive for schools to organize Green Summer Camps from June 5 to June 30. The initiative aims to raise awareness among students about environmental conservation, sustainability, and healthy lifestyles. This program is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and follows guidelines from the Union Ministry of Education for conducting Eco-Club activities under ‘Mission LiFE’.
Focus Areas of the Camps
A senior official stated that the camps will emphasize promoting healthy lifestyles, sustainable food practices, and measures such as reducing e-waste. Additional activities include spreading awareness about waste reduction, energy conservation, water conservation, and discouraging the use of single-use plastics. Schools are required to dedicate adequate time to each theme as per the Union Ministry’s instructions.
Implementation and Monitoring
Schools have been instructed to appoint teacher-in-charges under ‘Mission LiFE’ who will be responsible for documenting and uploading details of all camp activities on the education department’s portal. This ensures proper monitoring and reporting of the campaign’s progress.
Plantation Drives Under ‘Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam’
As part of the third edition of ‘Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam’, schools are also directed to conduct plantation drives. Officials noted that if space is unavailable within school premises, saplings may be planted at homes, along roadsides, in public spaces, or on approach roads to schools. The order emphasizes measures to ensure the survival, maintenance, and continuous monitoring of saplings planted by students during both current and previous campaigns.
Practical Challenges Raised by Teachers
Teachers’ organizations have questioned the practicality of the directive, as schools remain closed for summer vacations until June 29. Vipin Prakash Sharma, state president of the Rajasthan Primary and Secondary Teachers Associations, commented, “Such orders are good for spreading awareness among students, but it is not possible to follow the instructions as with schools being closed, both teachers and students are not available.” This highlights a significant hurdle in implementing the program effectively.
