NSS volunteers, teachers and students plant saplings across campus, pledge to protect them and promote environmental responsibility
PEN OF DEMOCRACY NEWS DESK
Maharaja Agrasen College, Jagadhri, marked Teachers’ Day with an environment-focused initiative as its NSS Unit-I organised a plantation drive on the college campus. The programme aimed to raise awareness about environmental conservation and encourage students to contribute actively towards creating a greener, cleaner and healthier environment.
Teachers, NSS volunteers and students participated enthusiastically in the campaign and planted saplings at different locations across the college premises. The initiative provided students with an opportunity to connect the values of education and social responsibility with practical action for environmental protection.
The NSS volunteers also pledged to regularly look after and protect the saplings planted during the campaign. The commitment was intended to ensure that the plantation activity would not remain limited to planting trees but would also involve their continued care and maintenance.
Speaking on the occasion, college principal Dr Karuna appreciated the efforts of NSS Unit-I and said Teachers’ Day was not merely an occasion to acknowledge the contribution of teachers but also an opportunity to make students aware of their responsibilities towards society and the environment.
She said teachers nurture students through knowledge, values and discipline, helping them develop into responsible individuals. In a similar manner, trees and plants sustain human life by providing oxygen and contributing to ecological balance. She stressed that environmental protection should therefore become an integral part of students’ lives rather than being limited to occasional campaigns.
Dr Karuna called upon students to plant more saplings and take responsibility for their regular care. She said merely planting a sapling was not enough, as its survival and healthy growth depended on continued attention, protection and responsible maintenance.
The principal emphasised that educational institutions have an important role to play in developing environmental consciousness among young people. Students can become effective messengers of environmental responsibility by adopting sustainable practices themselves and encouraging their families and communities to do the same.
The plantation drive also reflected the broader role of NSS in engaging students in activities that benefit society. Through such initiatives, students gain practical experience of community participation while developing a sense of responsibility towards public spaces and the natural environment.
NSS Unit-I coordinator Professor Gaurav Bareja said environmental protection was the collective responsibility of every citizen. He encouraged NSS volunteers to remain actively involved in social welfare and environmental conservation activities in the future as well.
Bareja said that student participation was particularly important because young people can play a significant role in creating awareness about environmental challenges. He urged the volunteers to continue contributing to initiatives that promote a cleaner and greener environment.
The campaign also provided an opportunity for teachers and students to work together outside the regular academic setting. Their joint participation reinforced the message that environmental conservation requires collective efforts and that every individual can make a meaningful contribution through simple and consistent actions.
The volunteers and students were encouraged to understand that protecting the environment begins with everyday choices. Keeping surroundings clean, avoiding unnecessary waste, protecting green spaces and caring for planted trees can collectively contribute to improving the quality of the environment.
The programme concluded with participants taking a pledge to protect the newly planted saplings and contribute towards keeping their surroundings clean and green. The pledge underlined the importance of ensuring that the plantation initiative develops into a sustained environmental responsibility.
The Teachers’ Day plantation drive demonstrated how an occasion traditionally associated with honouring educators can also be used to promote wider social values among students. By combining respect for teachers with environmental action, Maharaja Agrasen College sought to encourage students to understand that education carries responsibilities extending beyond academic achievement.
The initiative also highlighted the contribution of NSS Unit-I towards the holistic development of students. Activities involving social service, environmental conservation and community participation help students develop leadership, teamwork and civic responsibility while encouraging them to become more conscious of the issues affecting society.
The campaign reflected the college’s commitment to environmental conservation, social responsibility and the overall development of its students. The participation of teachers, NSS volunteers and students turned the plantation programme into a collective effort to strengthen the green environment of the campus.
As the newly planted saplings take root, the responsibility undertaken by the NSS volunteers to care for them will remain an important part of the initiative. The programme thus carried a message that environmental protection is not a one-day activity but a continuing responsibility that requires awareness, commitment and sustained action.
POD/DESK
