Gandhinagar: Adding yet another feather to its cap, the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) has won the International Green University Award 2023 by the Green Mentors, USA, a non-government organisation with special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), for its holistic approach to sustainable practices.

This award to IITGN was received by Mr P K Chopra, Registrar of IITGN, on September 15, 2023, at the 7th NYC Green School Conference held at Cornell University, USA, on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly session in New York City this week. The conference brought together thought leaders, educators, learners, policymakers, innovators, diplomates, administrators, solution providers, bookkeepers, healthcare experts, and climate leaders from around the world to discuss a wide range of topics related to fostering a more inclusive, compassionate, and climate-conscious approach toward humanising and climatising global education.

The International Green University Award acknowledges universities worldwide that have integrated sustainability into their core values, operations, and academic programmes for community and student engagement and have implemented sustainable practices such as energy-efficient infrastructure, renewable energy solutions, waste reduction and recycling programmes, and sustainable transportation initiatives.

The award recognises IITGN’s remarkable efforts and outstanding achievements in promoting environmental sustainability and instilling eco-conscious values among students. The Institute fosters a sustainable learning environment with a range of environmental awareness and conservation initiatives, including plogging drives, training sessions for different stakeholders, passive shading and orientation design, extensive use of natural light, eco-friendly sewage treatment plants, rainwater harvesting systems, biogas and composting systems, solar panel installations, use of water-saving aerators in all the washbasins and faucets, efficient waste management, and implementation of e-office system to reduce usage of papers for official communication, among others.

Attributing this recognition at the global level to the dedicated efforts of the Institute community, Prof Rajat Moona, Director, IITGN, said, “This award is a testament to the untiring passion, commitment, and hard work of our campus development office and the entire IITGN community, which take pride and joy in living in harmony with the environment and fostering environmentally conscious lifestyle. This award has further strengthened our commitment to champion the cause of environment conservation and sustainability.”