Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said that India is not a polluting nation and reiterated the country's aim to achieve net zero by 2070.
Dharmendra Pradhan has called upon citizens across the country to actively participate in the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ campaign, aligning it with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment). The renewed initiative aims to plant 10 crore trees between June 5 and September 30, to mark World Environment Day, observed on June 5.
Pradhan shared a story of his childhood in rural Odisha, where clean rivers and lush forests shaped his respect for nature. “We’re not a polluting nation, yet we aim for net zero by 2070,” he said.
He announced that 22,000 schools across Uttar Pradesh had joined a campaign to eliminate single-use plastics, a model he hoped would spread nationwide.
As he planted a sapling under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, students cheered, inspired by his call to action. “Every tree planted is a promise to our motherland,” he said, tying the act to cultural values.
Later, he joined a webinar with educators, discussing how digital platforms like DIKSHA could promote environmental literacy.
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Pradhan highlighted innovative grassroots efforts from states like Chhattisgarh, Tripura, and Rajasthan, where local communities are embracing techniques such as seed ball dispersal and bio-fencing to strengthen the green movement.
He also underscored the United Nations Environment Programme’s call for behavioural shifts alongside technological innovation in addressing climate change.
Pradhan noted that over 29 lakh students have generated more than Rs 50 lakh QR codes to digitally track the trees they have planted. This effort, he said, is building a national environmental database, enabling real-time monitoring and a data-driven strategy for ecological preservation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also planted a sapling of the Sindoor tree gifted by a group of women during his recent visit to Kutch, at his residence in Delhi today.
Modi wrote on X, “The brave mothers and sisters of Kutch, who set an amazing example of courage and valour in the 1971 war, recently presented me with a Sindoor plant during my visit to Gujarat. Today, on World Environment Day, I have had the privilege of planting that plant in the Prime Minister's residence in New Delhi. This plant will remain a strong symbol of the valour and inspiration of the women power of our country.”