Plant a tree, score up to 5 marks: Delhi civic body’s incentive to students

A North Corporation official said the mayor has floated the proposal and the school authorities will have to see whether it will be part of the social studies subject, which is taught in Class 4 and Class 5 or extracurricular activities.

Plant a tree and score extra marks in your exams. Delhi civic bodies will soon be giving extra marks to students for planting a tree and participating in plantation drives.

A North Corporation official said the mayor has floated the proposal and the school authorities will have to see whether it will be part of the social studies subject, which is taught in Class 4 and Class 5 or extracurricular activities.(HT FILE)

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation has launched the initiative to boost survival rate of the saplings planted in Delhi.

North Delhi mayor Preeti Agarwal told Hindustan Times, “As per the initial plan, students will be given extra 1-5 marks. The principal of the school will be asked to supervise the efforts by the students in a year in saving the saplings that he or she has planted.”

Saplings planted by the civic bodies have an estimated survival rate of 40 per cent, causing waste of human effort as well as financial loss.

A North Corporation official said the mayor has floated the proposal and the school authorities will have to see whether it will be part of the social studies subject, which is taught in Class 4 and Class 5 or extracurricular activities.

“The students across corporation schools take part in several plantation drive but in the important thing is how many saplings survive. The additional marks will motivate students to take care of the saplings,” he said.

The corporation will also give certificates to students who participate in plantation drives and show interest in the plant’s survival. “Currently, such incentives are given only for sports and other extracurricular activities. The plantation certificate will also help them when they seek admission at other schools after Class 5,” he said.

The corporation schools offer primary education till Class 5.

Experts have been arguing that civic bodies and government agencies should focus more on increasing survival rate of the plants than focusing on numbers (saplings that are planted). Delhi environment minister Imran Hussain had also recently expressed concern over the ineffective monitoring of tree plantation drives by the civic agencies. He had told officials to submit daily progress reports. An inter-department committee has been constituted for this task.