The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has announced Kerala’s EcoSense Scholarships, a student-focused waste management programme operating under Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0. The scheme has awarded nearly 46,000 scholarships to students across Kerala who are actively engaged in waste management and sustainable practices. The initiative is being implemented by Kerala’s Local Self Government Department in partnership with the General Education Department.
Key Details of the Scheme
The EcoSense programme distributes scholarships to students selected from Local Self Government Institutions across the state. Selection criteria are based on geographical divisions: 50 students from each Grama Panchayat, 75 from each Municipality, and 100 from each Corporation receive awards.
This year, the scholarship has been distributed to 45,880 students across 986 Local Self Government Institutions. Eligible students come from Classes 6 and 7 in Upper Primary, Classes 8 and 9 in High School, and first-year students of Higher Secondary and Vocational Higher Secondary categories. Each selected student receives a scholarship amount of ₹1,500 along with a certificate recognising their contribution to cleanliness efforts.
Participation has been substantial: approximately five lakh students from nearly 9,000 schools took part in the overall programme. Through EcoSense, students engage in practical activities including waste segregation at source, composting of biodegradable materials, repairing discarded items, organic farming, and household waste management visits. Students also visit Material Collection Facilities and Resource Recovery Facilities to understand how waste is processed after leaving homes.
Beyond individual learning, students have established waste segregation systems in schools, created repair shops, set up cleanliness clubs, and participated in swap shops. During November, Green Assemblies were organised across schools where students discussed environmental concerns and developed solutions for better waste management in their communities.
What This Means for You
If you are a school student in Kerala in the eligible classes, you could potentially receive ₹1,500 along with formal recognition for participating in waste management activities within your school and community. The scheme transforms classroom learning into practical environmental action, giving students real experience in segregation, composting and sustainable practices while earning a scholarship. Beyond individual benefit, participating students become waste management ambassadors in their families and neighbourhoods, helping build cleaner communities.