Environment Education (EE)
Environmental Education Programme (EEP)
Brief Introduction:
The Environment Education Division implements the ‘Environment Education Programme (EEP)’ – one of the components of the revamped Central Sector Scheme – ‘Environment Education, Awareness, Research and Skill Development (EEARSD)’. This Scheme has been approved for continuation till the year 2025-26.
The Environment Education Programme aims to supplement the knowledge that the children and young generation gain from classrooms with experience from nature and hands-on activities. Psychological interventions to behaviour change like education, enablement, incentivisation, modelling, persuasion, training, etc. would be the building blocks of this programme laid on the foundation of principles envisaged in the National Education Policy, 2020.Additionally, the Division acts a link between the various Divisions of this Ministry and the Eco-club network for facilitating organization of educational activities for children. The Division also acts as the Nodal Division in the Ministry for matters related to National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
Objective of the programme:
To sensitize children/ youth on issues related to environment and to motivate them to adopt sustainable lifestyle through varied pedagogical initiatives like workshops, projects, exhibitions, campaigns, competitions, nature camps, summer vacation programmes, etc.
Target Beneficiaries under the Programme:
- Eco-clubs formed under National Green Corps Programme
- Eco-clubs/ Youth Clubs or other such units formed under various schemes of Ministry of Education
- Youth Clubs of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), National Service Scheme (NSS) Cells/ Units, etc. formed under various schemes of Department of Youth Affairs
- Child Care Institutions or other such units formed under various schemes of Ministry of Women and Child Development
Implementation:
The Programme is implemented through Implementing Agencies which could be either at Central or State level. It includes:
- Any agency or autonomous body/ institutes of Central or State Government/ UT Administration having a mandate related to education/ environment and are nominated by the respective Central or State Government.
- Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan or any such body under Department of Youth Affairs, KendriyaVidyalayaSangathan, NavodayaVidyalayaSamiti or other such body under Ministry of Education, National Museum of Natural History under this Ministry, Panchayati Raj institutions/ Urban Local Bodies, etc.
Implementing agencies organize “Sustainable Lifestyle Workshops/ Projects/ Exhibitions/ Campaigns/ Competitions/ Nature Camps/ Summer Vacation Programmes, etc.” for the target beneficiaries. These workshops/ projects give target beneficiaries a platform for developing scientific temper and critical thinking, display creativity and nurture values like compassion and empathy, in addition to strengthening of concepts and opportunity to experiment and experience sustainable solutions, which use minimal resources, cause minimal pollution and generate minimal waste.
Nature camps help target beneficiaries to understand and appreciate India’s unique natural diversity, varied ecosystems, flora and fauna, as well as to understand the threats to their survival.
Thematic campaigns/ competitions like quiz, debate, essay, painting, physical activities, community participation, etc., give target beneficiaries a platform for expressing their ideas and spreading their word to the public.