The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on January 30 honoured 433 schools from across India as the country’s ‘greenest’ institutions at the Green School Awards 2025-26, recognising their commitment to sustainable campus practices and environmental learning.
The awards are conferred annually under CSE’s Green Schools Programme (GSP), a 21-year-old environmental education initiative that enables students to conduct a rigorous, on-campus environmental audit of their own schools, to measure the efficacy of resource management and green practices in the school. Schools take ownership of their green journey through self-conducted audits with CSE’s guidance.
GSP methodology
GSP helps schools assess their use of resources and map their consumption and wastage across six key subject areas: air, energy, food, land, water and waste.
Tushita Rawat, programme manager, environment education, CSE, said: “Our analysis finds that schools are demonstrating a clear tendency towards lower per capita resource use, limited reliance on environmentally harmful practices, and growing adoption of conservation measures. This shows that sustainability considerations are increasingly being integrated into the everyday operations of these GSP schools.”
The GSP audit dashboard shows that 56 per cent of the schools use non-polluting modes of transport. Over 34 per cent use energy-efficient lighting, while 73 per cent have well-ventilated classrooms. More than 75 per cent use chemical-free fertilisers, and over 31 per cent practice rainwater harvesting.
Said Souparno Banerjee, senior director, environment education, CSE: “A school that follows sustainable practices is not simply reducing its environmental footprints; it is normalising ways of thinking and action for its students, who carry them beyond the campus, into their homes and communities.”
How schools fared
The GSP Audit 2025-26 saw participation from 7,407 schools across 28 states and Union territories. Of these, 6 per cent were rated ‘green’, up from 4 per cent last year, indicating steady improvement in environmental performance.
Of all the schools that participated in the audit, government schools led the way, accounting for 86 per cent of all submissions, followed by private schools at 12 per cent and government-aided schools at 1 per cent. Over 81 per cent of the participating institutions are based in rural areas across India.
Punjab bagged the award for the Best State by setting the bar with the highest audit registrations and report submissions. 6,264 schools from the state submitted their audit reports — 237 were rated ‘green’. Hoshiarpur in Punjab bagged the Best District Award with 947 report submissions.
The Changemaker Awards are given to schools which improve their sustainability rating to green by monitoring and improving their practices over the year. The two awardees in this category are Vidya Pratishthan’s New English Medium School, Pune, Maharashtra (Secondary category) and Satya Bharti School, Tungaheri, Ludhiana, Punjab (Primary Category)
Sterling Schools Awards
Schools that have sustained their green rating for 10 consecutive years, i.e., since 2015, while continually monitoring and improving their practices. The awards went to:
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Bal Bharati Public School Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh
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Bal Bharati Public School IMT Manesar, Gurugram, Haryana
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Salwan Public School Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
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St. Edmund’s School Jaipur, Rajasthan
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Motilal Nehru School of Sports Rai, Sonipat, Haryana
Schools that have been rated green for five consecutive years
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Birla Vidya Niketan South East Delhi, Delhi
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Christ Academy Bengaluru Urban, Karnataka
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Christ Academy CBSE School, Bengaluru Rural, Karnataka
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Countryside International School, Surat, Gujarat
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Delhi Public School, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh
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Gwalior Glory High School, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
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Indraprastha International School, Dwarka, South West Delhi, Delhi
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Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2 Mangalore, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka
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Queen’s Valley School South West Delhi, Delhi
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Shivalik Valley School Solan, Himachal Pradesh
Vidyagyan School in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, was rated the best newcomer, as it had submitted the audit report for the first time and demonstrated great potential in managing its natural resources.
Green-rated schools that have performed outstandingly in a specific audit section included:
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GSP Air Action Award: PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan
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GSP Energy Manager Award: PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya, Narela, North West Delhi, Delhi
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GSP Land Manager Award: The Mann School, North Delhi, Delhi
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GSP Water Wise Award: San Thome Academy, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh
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GSP Waste Warrior Award: Bluebells International School, New Delhi
Speaking on the occasion, CSE director general Sunita Narain said: “Over the years, many generations of students have gone through the GSP’s process of learning how to audit their own environmental footprint—to measure it, benchmark it, and then work deliberately to make a difference. GSP allows us to measure change; it is visible and it can and must be celebrated.”
Among those who handed out the awards — besides Narain — were Brawin Kumar, Conservation Biologist; Tiasa Adhya, Ecologist and Conservation Practitioner; and Apurva Bandal, Senior Program Officer, Wildlife Crime Control Division, Wildlife Trust of India.