JOINT SECRETARY GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
D.O No: 17/6/2021-HSMD Date: 18th June, 2021
India has committed to phase out identified single-use plastics (SUP) by 2022. Hon'ble Prime Minister reviewed the issue of the elimination of single use plastics in the PRAGATI meeting held on February 24, 2021. As per the instructions received from Prime Minister's Office (PMO), pursuant to the PRAGA TI meeting, a targeted and wider awareness campaign has to be launched. In this regard, a pan India essay writing competition is to be organized for school students.
Awareness generation is important for bringing about a behavioural change with respect to using single-use plastic items. Hon'ble Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on June 8, 2021 while launching a two month long 'Awareness Campaign on Single-Use Plastics-2021', announced that a pan India essay writing competition for school students on the theme' A Future without Plastic Waste - through Sustainability and Circularity' will be held. It is envisaged that the essay writing competition will be held in all the districts of the country.
The main objectives of the essay writing competition are to foster the engagement of school students on the issues of plastic waste management and elimination of single-use plastic items. To ensure maximum participation of students, essays can be written in Hindi or English or regional language of the State. You are requested to get the competition organised in all the schools of your State. The schools covered under Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti would not be participating in the competition organisation by the district administration. The competition will be anchored through the district and state school education Departments under the leadership of District Administration and State UT Government respectively. School students will be awarded at District, State and National Levels. The funds for awards would be provided by this Ministry. The details of the competition are annexed.
It is also requested that Regional Committees may be constituted to evaluate the entries as per the annexed guidelines.
It is requested that the School Education Department of the State Government and the District Collectors District Magistrate Deputy Commissioners may be sensitized and directed about the organization of pan-India essay writing competition for school students. The competition is to be started in July 2021 and must be completed by 30 September 2021. It would be held in online mode. It is also requested that State Level Committee and District Level Committees may be constituted to evaluate the entries as per the annexed guidelines.
I would request your intervention and support for effective implementation of the essay writing competition in the schools of your State. This would go a long way in engagement of the younger generation in tackling the plastic pollution in effective and sustainable manner.
