Maharashtra wants to give students green benefits

What can students do to better the natural environment? A lot, feels the state’s environment department. On the lines of the National Service Scheme (NSS), the state government is planning to introduce an Environment Service Scheme (ESS) for its school and college students. 

If implemented, the scheme will allow students to file police complaints to stop irregularities, and the police will have to take cognizance. Not only this, similar to the NSS volunteers, state students too will benefit from working for the environment.

Apart from getting extra marks, the NSS volunteers also secure seats under quota during admissions to institutes. The state will try to give similar facilities to ESS volunteers. 

Education minister Suresh Shetty said, “We have spoken to both higher and school education departments and they are positive. We just have to get the written approval. It was part of the state’s vision to involve students in environment-related activities and we are trying to implement it. The forest department is also working for a project where students will be involved during their summer vacation.”

Students will get several incentives if they volunteer for planting trees, protecting mangroves, cleaning beaches. An environment department official said, “We want to make students more responsible by involving them.”