Green School Awards 2025: India’s ‘greenest’ schools felicitated by CSE

• 25 Green School Awards given away across 11 categories to environmentally-responsible schools and teachers in the presence of over 500 schoolchildren, their teachers and principals, and education department officials from across the country 
• CSE director general Sunita Narain and education reformer and inventor from Ladakh Sonam Wangchuk give away the awards 
• Punjab bags the best state and best district awards  

New Delhi, February 7, 2025: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) honoured 356 schools from across India with ‘Green’ certification at the Green Schools Carnival, held as part of its Green School Programme (GSP).Of these, 25 Green School Awards were presented across 11 categories to schools and educators for their exemplary initiatives in making their campuses environment-friendly and their students, environment-conscious.  

The Annual Green SchoolsProgramme Awards Ceremonyis a prestigious event thatcelebrates the ‘green’achievements of outstandingschools from across thecountry for their ingenuityand progressive practices. Theobjective is to acknowledge theirendeavours and encourage moreschools to actively engage inthis environmentally consciousmovement. The awards ceremonyis a significant and festive affair,showcasing the participation ofschoolchildren from across thenation in diverse competitionsand activities. 

For the second consecutive year, Punjab secured the Best State Award, registering the highest number of audit submissions.This year, 7,406 schools from Punjab participated, with 196 earning a green rating.Hoshiarpur was recognised as the Best District, with 1,945 schools submitting reports. 

CSE director general Sunita Narain and education reformer and inventor from Ladakh Sonam Wangchuk gave away the awards. Emphasising the need for a transformative approach to education, Wangchuk stated,“We need to redefine education. The education system we follow is from the industrial revolution. Today we know that things are falling apart. So, we better change.” 

Speaking at the awards function, Narain said: “CSE’s Green Schools Programme shows that we can be the change we want to see in the world. It gives us hope; it gives us courage and inspiration.” 

The GSP Audit 2025 saw a record-breaking participation of8,831 schools from 33 states and Union territories.

The Green Schools Award 2024-25 

Best State and District: Punjab bagged the award for the best state with 7,406 report submissions -- 196 of them rated ‘green’. Hoshiarpur bagged the best district award with 1945 submissions. 

Changemaker Awards: The Changemaker Awards are given to schools which improve their sustainabilityrating from yellow to green by monitoring and improving their practices over the year.

This year’s changemakers are:

• JP International School, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
• PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya AFS Manauri, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh 

Sterling Schools Awards:Schools that have consistently demonstrated excellence in environmental sustainability by maintaining a Green School ranking for five consecutive years under the Green Schools Programme (GSP). 

• Delhi Public School Ludhiana, Punjab
• Kendriya Vidyalaya Baikunthpur, Korea, Chhattisgarh
• PM SHRI KV Army Cantt., Pangode
• M.K. Residential Senior Secondary School, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• Shiv Nadar School, Noida, Uttar Pradesh
• Shri Ram Centennial School, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
• Thomas’ School, New Delhi
• Subodh Public School Airport Jaipur, Rajasthan
• The Fabindia School, Pali, Rajasthan 

The Section Toppers: Green-rated schools that have performed outstandingly in a specific audit section 

Air Action Award: Kendriya Vidyalaya, NTPC Shaktinagar, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Energy Manager Award: Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Good Food Award: Delhi Public School, Pune, Maharashtra

Land Manager Award: Cambridge School, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

Water-Wise Award: Queen’s Valley School, Dwarka, New Delhi

Waste Warrior Award: Pinegrove School Dharampur, Solan, Himachal Pradesh 

About the GSP Audit

CSE’s Green Schools Programme (GSP) is an innovative environmental education initiative that enables schools to assess their resource use and implement sustainable practices. Through the GSP Audit, students evaluate their school's performance across six key areas: air, energy, food, land, water, and waste. Schools completing the audit receive a sustainability rating—Green, Yellow, Orange, or Red—and a detailed performance report, guiding them to improve year after year. 

It is anenvironment management systemthat audits, through students, theconsumption of natural resourceswithin school campuses andhelps schools become goodenvironmental managers bydeploying pragmatic solutions toreduce wastage of resources. 

The data that has emerged after the 2024-25 audit shows that:

• 87 per cent schools do not own or use vehicles
• 93 per cent schools do not sell packaged food items in the campus
• 77 per cent schools use energy-efficient lighting
• 71 per cent schools are single-use plastic free zones
• 26 per cent schools use green source of energy (solar)
• 25 per cent schools have rainwater harvesting systems in place
• 30 per cent schools segregate waste and compost wet waste
• 48 per cent schools have more than 35 per cent green area
• 16 per cent schools burn waste
• 8 per cent schools use diesel vehicles 

CSE’ GSP Network has over 15,000 schools across India. GSP aims to subtly sensitisestudents towards the environmentthrough hands-on learning and thought-provoking sustainable activities. 

To see the complete list of green schools, click here:  

 To reach the GSP team at CSE or know more about the awards, please contact Sukanya Nair of The CSE Media Resource Centre: 8816818864, sukanya.nair@cseindia.org.