Srinagar : The University of Kashmir celebrated World Environment Day 2026 with a comprehensive series of initiatives aimed at promoting climate action and ecological responsibility.
Over three days, the university hosted various events that brought together policymakers, academics, students, and environmental experts to foster discussions on sustainability. A significant highlight of the celebration was the visit from the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan Bill, 2025, which engaged in a plantation drive and toured the University Botanical Garden. The committee’s members interacted with university leadership, including Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nilofer Khan, discussing higher education reforms and environmental issues.
The university’s activities included a walkathon, plantation drive, expert lectures, and a painting exhibition, all designed to enhance environmental awareness and encourage youth participation in conservation efforts. Prof. Nilofer Khan emphasized the importance of collective action in addressing environmental challenges, while Prof. Seema Singh, Dean of Students Welfare, highlighted the role of such activities in fostering student commitment to sustainability. The event featured an expert lecture by environmental lawyer Advocate Nadeem Qadri, who discussed the role of youth in nature conservation and the need for collaborative efforts among various stakeholders to strengthen environmental advocacy in Jammu and Kashmir, a region noted for its ecological fragility. In addition to campus activities, the Department of Environmental Science organized a two-day outreach program in collaboration with Government Degree College DH Pora and JAKNAP Projects Pvt. Ltd. This program focused on promoting environmental stewardship through hands-on training and practical demonstrations, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and academia-industry collaboration in addressing environmental challenges. Furthermore, the Department of English hosted an international conference on “Climate Action, Sustainability and Literature,” which aimed to explore the intersections of literature, sustainability, and environmental thought, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on climate change and ecological responsibility.
