Maharashtra state’s higher and technical education department on Monday in collaboration with UNICEF Mumbai announced a youth driven initiative to conserve natural resources and to work toward issues posed by climate change. Under this programme, a total of 7.1 lakh student volunteers (age group 17-25) from selected universities across Maharashtra will be empowered to work for these causes.
Student volunteers of National Service Scheme (NSS) units from Mumbai University, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Nanded’ Swami Ramanand Tirth Marathwada University, Shivaji University in Kolhapur, Rashtrasanta Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University and Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University will be made part of this project along with youth driven NGOs working in the same sector.
The collaboration finalised on Children’s Day, will provide youth with training and fieldwork platforms by offering them experience of working with professional organisations working in the area. Students will be awarded fellowships, certificates, college grades, green skilling among all for their participation.
Maharashtra’s higher and technical education minister, Chandrakant Patil who launched the programme at the Mumbai University’s Kalina campus on the occasion of Children’s Day, said, “India has the highest number of youth population. And we hope this young generation of today to become responsible Indians for tomorrow. The programme having tenure of three year will be in different phases wherein volunteers will be trained on topics of water conservation, environment and sustainability.”
Welcoming the collaboration, principal secretary of Higher and Technical Education department, Vikas Rastogi, said, “This will instill environment-friendly habits among these youngsters and will also bring about change in the society at large. Maharashtra ranks third after Assam and Andhra Pradesh in climate change in the list published by the Council of Energy Environment and Water, India.”
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