Aizawl: Mizoram government on Tuesday launched the ‘Mizoram Green Schools League’, a statewide cleanliness competition aimed at promoting hygiene and environmental responsibility among school students.
The competition, jointly organised by the Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation (UD&PA) and School Education departments under the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, will be conducted at the block, district and state levels.
Launching the initiative, UD&PA Minister K. Sapdanga said the league would provide a platform to inculcate cleanliness habits among students and encourage them to incorporate hygiene into their daily routines into adulthood.
Sapdanga said that while the competition includes cash prizes, its broader objective is to develop lasting attitudes towards cleanliness and encourage students to keep their schools, homes and communities clean.
“Cleanliness and hygiene are primary indicators of development and progress,” he said, adding that the initiative aimed to foster a culture of cleanliness among students and encourage them to take responsibility for their surroundings.
He said maintaining a clean and healthy environment for future generations is a collective responsibility, with both children and adults having important roles to play.
School Education Minister Vanlalthlana, who attended the launch, said Mizo youth had recently shown growing awareness of cleanliness by voluntarily organising clean-up drives in neglected areas.
He called for efforts to sustain the practice and ensure that Mizoram’s cleanliness standards remained exemplary for visitors.
Vanlalthlana also urged teachers and school staff to lead by example to encourage students to adopt clean habits.
He assured that the School Education department would extend all possible support for the successful implementation of the Green Schools League.