Minister Launches Ideas4LiFE Initiative to Promote Environmental Sustainability at IIT Delhi

In his address, Shri Yadav urged students, research scholars, faculty, and innovators to contribute creative and unconventional ideas to support the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, launched the Ideas4LiFE initiative today at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. The event, also attended by Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, aimed to invite innovative ideas for products and services that promote environmentally friendly lifestyles.

In his address, Shri Yadav urged students, research scholars, faculty, and innovators to contribute creative and unconventional ideas to support the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment). He emphasized the initiative's goal of encouraging participation in a global movement dedicated to environmental sustainability.

Shri Yadav highlighted the pressing need for this initiative, noting that while nature provides us with essential resources in their purest form, our outputs often degrade these resources. He stressed the importance of introspection and the collective responsibility to conserve nature for future generations. “Nature provides food, oil, energy, and medicine; it is our duty to ensure its preservation,” he said.

The Ideas4LiFE portal, accessible at ‘Ideas4Life.nic.in,’ will enable participants to submit their ideas online. The best contributions across seven themes of Mission LiFE—Save Water, Save Energy, Reduce Waste, Reduce E-Waste, Say No to Single-Use Plastics, Adopt Sustainable Food Systems, and Adopt Healthy Lifestyles—will be recognized and awarded.

During the event, Shri Yadav also participated in the Prime Minister’s ‘EkPedMaaKeNaam’ or ‘Plant4Mother’ movement by planting a sapling at the IIT Delhi campus. This movement, launched on World Environment Day, June 5, 2024, encourages widespread tree planting.

The Ideas4LiFE Ideathon is supported by educational institutions such as UGC, AICTE, and IITs, which will help spread the initiative across academic communities. UNICEF has partnered with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to develop and manage the Ideas4LiFE portal.

The launch event was attended by notable figures including Smt. Leena Nandan, Secretary (EF&CC); Prof. Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman of the University Grants Commission; Prof. T G Sitharam, Chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education; and Prof. Rangan Benerjee, Director of IIT Delhi. Over 1,000 students, research scholars, and academic faculty from various institutions participated actively in the event.