The Ministry of Environment & Forests has been conducting a countrywide National Environment Awareness Campaign (NEAC) every year since 1986 with the aim of creating environmental awareness at the national level. Under the decentralised mechanism of conducting the campaign adopted since 1993-94, the responsibility of coordinating the campaign activities has been assigned to certain identified organisations designated as the Regional Resource Agencies (RRAs) for different regions of the entire country. These RRAs include reputed NGOs with substantial infrastructure, manpower and technical expertise, State Department of Environment and other autonomous organisations under the State / Union Territory Governments.
2. Proposals for participating in the campaign are invited through an advertisement which is released by the Ministry usually during the months of August / September of every year in all the leading national and regional newspapers of the country. Registered NGOs/voluntary organisations, educational institutions, State Government Departments etc. working in the field of environment and sustainable development are eligible for participating in this campaign. Many awareness creating activities such as padayatras, rallies, public meetings, exhibitions, folk dances, street theatres, essays/debates, painting /poster competitions for school children, seminars, workshops, training courses and preparation and distribution of environment education resource materials for various target groups are supported under this campaign. The financial assistance provided under this programme ranges between Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 per organisation, going up to a maximum of Rs 50,000 in exceptional cases.
3. The proforma for submission of the proposals can be obtained free of cost from the designated RRAs for each State /Union Territory after the release of the advertisement regarding NEAC every year. This proforma contains detailed guidelines for submitting proposals as well as information about the theme of the campaign, role of RRAs, suggested activities, preferred target groups, last date of submission of the application form etc. The completed proforma have to be submitted to the concerned RRA and not to the Ministry. It may be noted that proposals for NEAC received directly in the Ministry will not be considered.
4. The advertisement regarding NEAC 1998-1999 has already appeared in several newspapers of the country. A copy of the advertisement is as follows :