Under the aegis of Varun Arjun University and as part of the NEP SAARTHI initiative, HARITAM 2026 was inaugurated on 23 May 2026 at Varun Arjun Medical College & Rohilkhand Hospital. Students, faculty members, their family members, and local community members participated enthusiastically. The initiative promotes environmental awareness, sustainability, energy conservation, and community participation in alignment with the vision of NEP 2020.
Saplings were distributed to encourage plantation and greener surroundings. Participants also creatively reused discarded plastic water bottles as planters and grew plants from seeds, demonstrating recycling, reuse, and waste reduction.
Awareness was generated regarding avoidance of single-use plastics, water conservation, energy saving, reduced vehicle use for short distances, and biodiversity conservation through placing water bowls and feeding grains to birds.
As part of HARITAM 2026 and in support of World Environment Day, daily eco-friendly activities will continue, including conserving electricity and water, carrying reusable bottles, caring for plants, reducing screen time, avoiding littering and food wastage, reusing paper, reducing unnecessary printing, walking or cycling for short distances, and encouraging sustainable habits.
The initiative was appreciated by Dr. Keshav Agarwal, Chancellor, Varun Arjun University; Dr. Ashok Agarwal, Pro-Chancellor, Varun Arjun University; Dr. Lata Agarwal, Vice-Chancellor, Bareilly International University; and Dr. Kiran Agarwal, Vice-Chancellor, Varun Arjun University. Dean & Principal Dr. (Col.) R. N. Shukla also supported the initiative.
The programme was coordinated by Dr. Poornima S. Bhat, NEP SAARTHI Coordinator, along with Giriraj Kirtee and Sandhya Rani Gope. Mr. Mohd Juned, Assistant Professor, Varun Arjun College of Pharmacy, supported the event by arranging the plants distributed among participants.
Through HARITAM 2026, the University reaffirmed its commitment to environmental conservation, emphasizing that sustainable change is driven by individual initiatives and collective action, consistent with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.