Local Government Minister MB Rajesh on Wednesday formally inaugurated Eco Sense, a scholarship for students that aims to nurture eco-sensitive citizens.
The scholarship was issued jointly by the Department of Local Government and the Department of General Education to develop a positive attitude among students towards scientific waste management and environmental protection and thus spread the culture of hygiene and cleanliness in the society.
50,000 students
Students of classes VI, VII, VIII, IX and XI are eligible for a scholarship of ₹1,500 during the academic year 2025-26. It will be given to almost 50,000 students who can become ambassadors for a clean environment.
The scholarship procedures, which have been initiated against the backdrop of the ‘Malinyamuktham Navakeralam’ scheme, begin with school-level registration, which must be completed by November 5.
Students are then given a range of activities such as following the green protocol; waste sorting and scientific management; biocomposting; waste mapping; visiting homes or business premises and preparing reports; making videos of alternative green products; visiting waste management plants; and so on, which must be completed by November 20th.
Those selected for the scholarship at the panchayat, municipal and Corporation levels by December 5 will then be given a second set of activities to be completed by January 15.
An exhibition of these activities will be held at Haritholsavams in local bodies on January 26. On this occasion, the scholarship amount and citation will be presented to the students.
Through Eco Sense, the departments hope to bring about a change in attitudes among students, teachers and parents, say officials, who also emphasize that it is not a competition.
The scholarship builds on the ideas contained in the textbooks published by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and the lessons on waste management that were included in the work activity textbooks for students from classes V to X. The students have to present the ideas and knowledge in these textbooks through scholarship activities, they say.
Published – 29 Oct 2025 23:14 IST
