New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Friday urged all universities and colleges to observe World Environment Day on June 5 through various online programmes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter to the Vice-Chancellors of all universities and the Principals of all colleges, it said,” The ongoing battle with COVID -19 pandemic underlines the need to identify, devise and adopt sustainable development models which foster greater care for the environment towards the creation of healthier and happier communities. In its ongoing commitment to the environmental cause, and its continuous efforts to make campuses environment-friendly and achieve global benchmarks, UGC came out with `SATAT, a Framework for Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Campus Development in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs).”
“The framework helps HEls to devise their own strategies that focus on efficient use of energy and water; minimizing waste generation and pollution and also economic efficiency. The diversity of the framework will help institutions devise and implement strategies most suitable for their geographical locations. Soft copies of `SATAT. (in Hindi and English) are enclosed herewith for ready reference,” the letter read.
“On World Environment Day, 5. June 2021, the UN will be declaring 2021-2030 as the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration with the slogan of “Reimagine, Recreate, Restore” to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean,” the letter read.
“To observe World Environment Day on Vh June 2021, the Universities and Colleges may organize online programmes in the form of quizzes, essay writing, webinars etc to create awareness about the theme of UN Decade and other significant issues related to environment and sustainable living and share details on the University Activity Monitoring Portal of UGC (www.ugc.ac.in/uamp),” the letter further read.
