05/06/2026
M.Sc. Environmental Sciences Students Celebrate World Environment Day 2026 with their Mothers under ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ Campaign in Border Villages of J&K
In pursuance of the nationwide "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India, Environmental Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity Studies (CBS), Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, actively participated in the campaign on 5 June 2026, coinciding with the celebration of World Environment Day 2026. The activity was organized in consonance with the World Environment Day theme, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.”
As part of the campaign, the students of M.Sc. Environmental Sciences undertook a plantation drive in their respective native villages across the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In a unique and meaningful gesture reflecting the spirit of the campaign, the students planted saplings alongside their mothers, symbolizing the nurturing role of both mothers and trees in sustaining life and safeguarding the environment.
The participants planted indigenous and climate-resilient tree species suited to the local ecological and climatic conditions and chosen for their ecological significance, resilience to climate variability, and their potential contribution towards biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, ecosystem restoration, and environmental sustainability.
The plantation drive served as a community-based environmental awareness initiative, with students involving their family members and local residents in the programme. The activity highlighted the importance of increasing green cover, conserving biodiversity, and adopting nature-based solutions to address the challenges posed by climate change, particularly in the ecologically sensitive border regions of Rajouri and Poonch.
A significant feature of the campaign was the pledge taken by the students and their mothers to nurture and protect the planted saplings. The participants resolved to care for the trees throughout their growth period and to continue promoting environmental stewardship within their communities. The campaign thus reinforced the message that environmental protection begins at the grassroots level through collective responsibility and sustained action.
The campaign witnessed enthusiastic participation from the students of M.Sc. Environmental Sciences and their mothers across various villages of the Rajouri–Poonch region. The initiative successfully integrated the objectives of World Environment Day 2026 with the vision of the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign by combining environmental action, community engagement, and family participation. Environmental Sciences, CBS, BGSBU appreciates the dedication shown by the students and their families and reaffirms its commitment to promoting environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation, and climate action through education, awareness, and community participation.