School Nursery Yojana

The School Nursery Yojana aims at involving school students in raising plant nurseries to bring them closer to natural environment, help them understand the natural processes of germination and feel the joy of watching saplings grow. It is a Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change initiative.

Objectives

• To connect young students with plant, create sense of belonging and oneness with nature, sensitivity towards plants and living environment.
• To provide an opportunity for students to be in contact with soil, manure, seed, which students in cities are often missing.
• To make students learn and appreciate the natural process of growing saplings.
• To grow saplings of various plants for herbal medicinal, ornamental, shrubs, trees and potted plants etc. for planting in their neighbourhood, take care and watch them grow.
• To identify and learn the various benefits of trees and plants.
• To provide students observe their neighbouring trees, collect seeds for use in nurseries.
• To encourage students to use plants grown by them for distribution to visiting dignitaries and public on suitable occasions

Salient Features

• The Scheme is initiated for a period of five years on Pilot Basis.
• It will involve students of Class 6-9.
• The schools should have open space of around 100 sq. meter for creation of nursery to raise 1,000 saplings in its School Nursery every year.
• At the beginning of the planting season, each student will be encouraged to raise at least one sapling, nurture it and take the sapling at the end of the academic season to plant and take care.
• In the first year 1,000 Schools will be selected and will be provided a grant of Rs. 25,000/- for development of Nursery Infrastructure, inputs etc and the raising cost of saplings. In subsequent two years, these School will be eligible for a maintenance grant of Rs. 10,000/= each subject to satisfactory performance.
• Different Schools will be selected every year for Grants under the Scheme.
• The selected Schools will maintain records as per the format enclosed.
• The State wise project proposals shall be submitted by the State CAMPAs duly approved by the State CAMPA Steering Committee.
• This Scheme will not be part of State CAMPA’s Annual Plan of Operation. NCAC will release funds for the scheme from its corpus.
• The funds released by the NCAC will be deposited in the State CAMPA accounts maintained by the States which will maintain a separate account for the scheme.

Guidelines for implementation of School Nursery Yojana

i. Eligibility

• All students from class 6-9.
• Schools should have around 100 sq. meter of open green space for developing nursery and carry out green activities.
• The schools with functioning Eco Clubs will be given preference.
• School Principals must agree for maintaining the nursery for at least 5 years.
• The Schools should have provision/ create facilities of rainwater harvesting and use recycled/ treated waste water for irrigation.
• The Scheme will gradually try to cover one school in each district, which will later act as Lead Schools and guide other schools in such activities.

ii. Procedure

• The Schools will apply as per the prescribed format to the concerned Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF)/ Divisional Forest Officer (DFO).
• Each School will commit for raising at least 1,000 saplings of suitable plant species.
• The DFO will forward the proposal with his recommendations to State CAMPA for consideration.
• State CAMPA will forward the consolidated proposal to CAMPA steering Committee for consideration and approval for making grant.
• The schools selected under this scheme will create a model nursery and submit their annual report certified by the Principal alongwith relevant photographs on the activities carried out by them under the nursery scheme.
• The State CAMPA will create an Online Interactive Web Portal for disseminating information on Nursery raising and place all the reports/ information received from schools.
• A list of forest officials and experts will be maintained by the State CAMPA/ DFOs to whom the schools can contact for professional guidance.

iii. Activities under School Nursery Yojana

• All Students from Class 6-9 will be eligible for nursery works. The activity may be included as regular practical exercise for Biology classes and part of extra- curricular activities for other students.
• The students will be taken to local excursion to nearby parks/gardens/ colony parks at appropriate time to observe phenological characteristics of trees and other plants and seasonal changes like- leaves, bark, branching patterns, flowering, colour of flowers & young leaves, fruits, seeds, flowering annuals, shrubs etc.
• Identification of plants and trees.
• Students should be encouraged to prepare herbarium, record their observations, collect fruits, seeds etc.
• Drying of seeds, making cuttings, grafting etc. for plant propagation
• Preparation of potting mixture from soil, sand and manure or coco- peat.
• Filling of polybags, earthen pots by potting mixture.
• Sowing of seeds, maintenance of young saplings, watering, weeding, transplanting etc.
• Planting of locally appropriate species will be preferred.
• Recording of observations and carrying out tree census in school and neighbouring localities.
• Students may also be encouraged to take the saplings at the time of passing out and plant at suitable place (school/ neighbourhood/ residential areas) and take care.
• Prizes to good performers.

iv. Budgetary support

• The scheme is taken on Pilot basis for 5 year period.
• A provision of Rs. 2.50 Crores in the first year will be provided from CAMPA for the purpose of School Nursery Yojana. Later on budgetary requirement will be assessed based on actual requirement of maintenance funds.
• Each School will receive initially a first time financial grant of Rs. 25,000/= for creation of Nursery with essential facilities/ infrastructure. These schools will receive a grant of Rs. 10,000/- in the next two years for continuation of programme and raising of next batch of 1,000 saplings. It is expected that schools will continue the programme on their own after 3rd Year.
• The grant will cover the initial expenditure on creation of nursery beds, watering arrangements, pipes, soil, manure, earthen pots, polybags and other necessary inputs.
• SFDs will guide the schools and provide all technical support to schools selected under this scheme.
• The State wise project proposals shall be submitted by the State CAMPAs duly approved by the State CAMPA Steering Committee.

Source : Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change