New Delhi : The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India under its “Waste to Wealth” Mission announced the “Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship 2022” to empower young innovators who are engaged in community work of waste management, waste awareness campaigns, waste surveys etc. as Swachhta Saarthis and implement actions to reduce waste for a greener planet. 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 fellowship was launched in 2021 to recognize students, community workers/self-help groups, and municipal/sanitary workers who are engaged in tackling the enormous challenge of waste management, scientifically and sustainably. The fellowship is aimed at amplifying the role of young students from schools and colleges, and citizens working in the community through Self Help Groups (SHGs), or in independent capacity in sensitizing the society towards waste management and offer innovative solutions for conversion of waste to value. The 2021 cohort had 344 Swachhta Saarthis consisting of high school students, college students, and community workers from across 27 States and 6 UTs that are currently making an impact through their efforts in waste management towards building a sustainable future.
The applications for 2022 cohort are now open for submission. Up to 500 fellows will be recognised under the fellowship. The aim through 2022 cohort is to further empower and recognize the efforts of more young innovators engaged in community work of waste management and form a wide network of waste warriors on ground as Swachhta Saarthis. This fellowship will empower interested students and citizens to continuously engage in their attempts to reduce waste in cities and rural areas.
Announcing the fellowships, Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the GoI said,“Many people ask what the point is of having 100, 200, and 300 people working on the ground level but it is important because of three reasons. Firstly, your enthusiasm can affect your neighbourhood. Second, earlier times, elders used to teach the young generation about waste management but now it’s the responsibility of the young generation to teach the elders. Lastly, you all go to institutions all over the country, each one of you can influence 3 other people and that will enormously scale up awareness on waste management. This is something that is now in your hands to create an impact. We have to do things to better our future, we should live responsibly and sustainably now so the future generations can grow sustainably as well.”
Targeted to encourage community participation, the Swachhta Saarthi Fellowships invites applications from students, researchers and community workers who have done previous work or are currently engaged in waste management activities, including awareness campaigns, surveys & studies. The three categories of awards under the fellowships are as below:
- Category-A – Open to School students from 9th to 12th standards engaged in waste management community work. An amount of Rs. 500/- per month would be given as fellowship for a period of 1 year.
- Category-B – Open to College students (UG, PG, Research students) engaged in waste management community work. An amount of Rs. 1,000/- per month would be given as fellowship for a period of 1 year.
- Category-C – SHGs or sanitary workers. A maximum of 2 citizens from the same SHG can apply an amount of Rs. 2,000/- per month would be given as fellowship for a period of 1 year.
The last date for applying to the fellowship is April 4th, 2022.
Details and application link is available at: https://www.wastetowealth.gov.in/fellowship-home
For any further information on the fellowships, contact [email protected] and [email protected]
About Waste to Wealth
Waste to Wealth Mission, which is one of the nine scientific missions of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PMSTIAC). The Mission, spearheaded by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, aims to identify, test, and validate technologies that recover value from waste, and are commercially viable. These technologies will be piloted at Mission Sentinels, which will demonstrate solutions for critical waste challenges and contribute to conserving, restoring, and enhancing India’s land, air, and water resources.
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