The Union Government's Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor has launched Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship for the students, community workers, self-help groups and municipal and sanitary workers engaged in tackling the waste management scientifically and sustainably. The fellowship is an initiative to empower young innovators in community work of waste management, awareness campaigns, waste surveys, studies as Swachhta Saarthis and implement actions to reduce waste for a greener planet. Up to 500 fellows will be recognised under the fellowship. The last date for applying to the fellowship is March 19, 2021.
The fellowship has been launched under the Government's “Waste to Wealth” Mission. The Waste to Wealth Mission is one of the nine national missions of the Prime Minister's Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
The role of young students from schools and colleges, and citizens working in the community through Self Help Groups (SHGs), or in independent capacity, is key in sensitizing the communities towards waste management and offering innovative solutions for conversion of waste to value. This fellowship is aimed to empower interested students and citizens to continuously engage in their attempts to reduce waste in cities and rural areas, read an official statement.
Announcing the fellowships, Professor K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser said: “Managing the waste we generate is one issue that has deep implications—those who generate waste are often not those who clear it . The Swachhta Saarthi Fellowships will recognize exemplary people from any walk of life who go beyond the call of duty in tackling waste and manage it scientifically and sustainably. The fellowships will target the very grassroots of Indian community participation and recognise efforts made by citizens to make India a zero-waste nation.”
Targeted to encourage community participation, the Swachhta Saarthi Fellowships invites applications from students and community workers who have done previous work or are currently engaged in waste management activities, including awareness campaigns, surveys and studies. The fellowship is open to school students from Class 9 to Class 12 and college students including undergraduate, postgraduate and research students. The fellowgio is also open to citizens working in the community and through SHGs, municipal or sanitary workers working beyond specifications of their job requirement/descriptions.
