Four Schools from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Win Wipro Earthian Awards 2025

Four Schools from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Win Wipro Earthian Awards 2025

Srinagar, February 01, 2026: Four schools from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have been recognised among the national winners of the 15th edition of the Wipro Earthian Awards 2025, an annual programme that promotes sustainability education and environmental stewardship among schools and colleges across India.

Hosted by Wipro Limited at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, the awards acknowledge institutions that demonstrate sustained engagement with ecological practices through hands-on learning and community involvement. This year’s edition received over 2,000 project submissions nationwide, with an independent jury selecting 25 winning teams, four of which are from the Himalayan region.

The winning schools addressed region-specific environmental challenges such as waste management in fragile mountain ecosystems, biodiversity conservation, and water management practices in cold desert areas. Students combined field studies, documentation, surveys, community interactions, and indigenous knowledge to translate sustainability lessons into practical action.

Highlights of the Winning Schools’ Projects

Druk Padma Karpo School, Shey, Leh:
Focused on Ladakh’s growing waste crisis, students conducted field visits, engaged with NGOs including PAGIR, and practised segregation, composting, and zero-waste initiatives. Their project highlighted rising plastic pollution linked to tourism and changing lifestyles, culminating in comics, data visualisations, essays, a school magazine, and awareness campaigns.

Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Nishat, Srinagar:
Concentrated on biodiversity documentation and conservation, with students surveying species on campus and in Dachigam National Park. They studied the effects of deforestation, pollution, climate change, and resource overuse, while promoting recycling, afforestation, wildlife protection, and responsible resource use.

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Government Higher Secondary School, BK Pora:
Students carried out a biodiversity survey around their campus, identifying wild edible plants, insects, and birds. Interactions with farmers, beekeepers, and nursery owners helped track seasonal and human-induced changes. The team also created an insect habitat to highlight ecological importance, aiming to raise awareness and encourage sustainable daily practices.

PM Shri Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Leh:
Conducted a study of traditional and modern water-conservation systems in Nubra and Zanskar, documenting indigenous practices such as chures (community water turns) and zings (meltwater reservoirs), alongside innovations like artificial glaciers. The project analysed glacier-water harvesting and climate-resilient farming, showcasing Ladakh’s adaptive strategies for water scarcity in cold desert areas.

Certificates and cash prizes were presented to the winning teams by Anurag Behar, CEO of the Azim Premji Foundation, and Narayan PS, Global Head of Sustainability and Societal Initiatives at Wipro and Managing Trustee of the Wipro Foundation.

“The strength of the Wipro Earthian programme lies in grounding sustainability in lived reality, helping students understand environmental challenges through their immediate surroundings,” said Narayan PS, highlighting that participating schools have moved beyond awareness to sustained engagement with local ecological issues.

Since its launch in 2011, the Wipro Earthian initiative has engaged over 51,000 schools, 2.1 lakh students, and 41,000 teachers across India, partnering with organisations like the Centre for Environment Education, CPR Environmental Education Centre, Wild Ecologues, IIT Madras, IIM Bangalore, and several state governments. The awards reflect Wipro’s continued commitment to sustainability and community-based environmental action through education.