In an attempt to bring awareness regarding the climate crisis, the University of Delhi has introduced a new step as part of its “environmental education to environmental action at the ground level” program.
From the upcoming academic session, it would be mandatory for every student of the University to plant one tree during their course of study.
It would be applicable for students of all the programs, including the Undergraduate, postgraduate, and M.Phil/Ph.D.
Registrar Vikas Gupta said in a statement, “From the coming academic session, it has now become compulsory for every student to plant at least one tree anywhere in the country during their study.
This will be applicable at the undergraduate, postgraduate, and MPhil/Ph.D. level. The program will be scientifically monitored and evaluated by the respective colleges, centers, and departments.”
In a statement to The Indian Express, Registrar Gupta said that students would have to prove planted trees to their Departments and Colleges.
Prof. P.C. Joshi, Vice-Chancellor, University of Delhi, asserted that the University admits lakhs of students from different parts of the country each year and could become the new “climate warriors.”
“Planting millions of suitable trees and creating a natural ecosystem is one of the best ways, and this can be achieved faster through massive students participation,” he added.
The program would be “scientifically monitored” by the University and the Department. Information regarding the evaluation process has been inferred in a simple way to the students so that they can contribute to society in a true sense.
A notification issued in this regard on August 6 reads, “Each student should plant at least one native tree species in his/her native place/place of stay…
The student should submit GPS coordinates/ site location and the plant picture to the respective college/ department/center.
The picture should have a placard containing details such as the name of the tree, name, and course of the student, location, and date of the plantation.”
“The student needs to take care of the tree planted by herself/himself by periodic monitoring. For long-term monitoring, the family members/RWA/ local bodies may be involved.
Six monthly reports, photographs with some description of growth needs to be submitted by the student…,” it further added.
On condition of the death of the sapling by some unforeseen incident or natural disaster, the sapling would have to be replaced, the notification mention.
Botanist Professor Dinabandhu Sahoo, Director of the Centre for Himalayan Studies and the brain behind the proposal, said, “Today we are facing a major Biosphere Crisis, and there are only 28 trees per person available in India while the global average is 422 tress per person, Canada has 8,953 and China has 130 trees per person.”