Sharda Lal, Bhaderwah
National Students Paryavaran (Environment) Competition is one of the mega-events organised by ‘Paryavaran Sanrakshan Gatividhi (PSG), a national level organisation, dedicated to improving the environment. More than five hundred districts with volunteers pan India are part of this organization. Aim of the organization is to make tangible and measurable changes to improve the quality of environment through various activities and awareness campaigns.
National Students Paryavaran (Environment) Competition is being organised every year since 2022. During the current year also, the contest titled National Students Paryavaran Competition 2024 (NSPC 24) was open for all categories of students from primary to doctorate level, free of cost, during July 1 to August 21.
Set in the online ‘multiple-choice test' mode, there were twenty questions to be attempted by each participant in NSPC-24. The participants were also asked to voluntarily grow 10 plants each from the seeds of fruit they would consume at home. They were asked to shoot their selfie with the seeds sown and the plants raised, and to upload these on the prescribed field in the ecomitram app of PSG. Uploading of selfies was, however kept optional and not mandatory for registration in the contest.
7,09,173 Contestants appeared in NSPC – 24
On 30 August, 2024, the results of NSPC-24 were declared and it was revealed that 7,09,173 contestants from 45,022 institutions (large as well as small), spread over 107 countries of the world, had registered their participation in the contest.
Maximum participation was obviously from the host country India and the top 10 participating states were Uttar Pradesh (1,15,137,) Delhi (1,06,653), Madhya Pradesh (54,156), Haryana (42,031), Punjab (38,451), Maharashtra (38,460), Tamil Nadu (38,003), Kerala (26,229), Chhattisgarh (22,690) and Uttarakhand (19,844). (Figures within parenthesis indicate the number of registered participants). The Non-resident Indians accounted for 27,315 numbers.
J&K Stood 20th amongst 36 States and UTs, besides the category of NRIs & Ors
The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, with the participant count of 7,290, stood 20th amongst the 36 States and Union Territories of the country, besides the two additional participating categories of NRIs and the Miscellaneous.
Nearly 128 institutions of the J&K UT registered this year for NSPC – 24. Encouragingly, students from all districts of the Union Territory registered their presence in the competition this year. Number of participating institutions from Jammu and Kashmir divisions were 114 and 14 respectively.
Jammu ranked 45th out of 681 districts
Jammu district recorded the highest participation with 53 institutions and 3425 contesting participants in NSPC-24, thereby earning the distinction of being amongst the top 50 of the 681 districts of the country which appeared in the competition. Jammu district stood at 45th place in the order. For other districts, the number of institutions and the number of contestants is given in parenthesis against the respective district, as follows:
Kathua (28/1181), Samba (10/772), Udhampur (11/707), Srinagar (7/390), Pulwama (3/173), Anantnag (2/173), Kupwara (2/74), Ramban (1/51) and Kishtwar (1/108).
– (Source: https://ecomitram.app/scoreboard?module=nspc&type=nspc24)
The count of contestants from remaining districts is: Shopian: 64, Rajouri: 40, Reasi: 38, Bandipora: 28, Kulgam: 16, Ganderbal: 12, Baramulla: 12, Doda: 10, Poonch: 8 and Budgam: 8. Perhaps, the students from these districts participated in their personal capacity as the institution name is not mentioned in the result
Two Institutions of J&K amongst Top 100 of the country
Two institutions of J&K UT have earned the honour of being amongst the top 100 of the country to put up the maximum number of contestants in NSPC – 24. These are Dogra Higher Secondary School and Army Public School Damana of Jammu with participant count of 581 and 539 and the ranking of 66th and 73rd respectively. (Source: https://ecomitram.app/nspc24/results.com)
80 Toppers from J&K in Category, 1st to 5th Class
In the Category of student participants from Class 1st to 5th, 80 toppers have been listed from J&K UT and they have made their respective institutions proud. It is worthwhile to give the institution-wise count of topper participants as follows:
APS Damana, Jammu (17), APS B D Bari, Samba (07), Dogra Higher Secondary School, Jammu (06) and UPS Chack Gadhadhar, Kathua (05). 04 students each are from K C International School, Jammu, Sant Hare Ram Dass Public School, Mandal, Jammu and SBYBVM Dadwara, Kathua. 03 students each are from MS Chack Gadhadhar, Kathua, Presentation Convent Sr Sec School, Jammu and Radiant Public School, Anantnag. 02 students each are from APS Kaluchak, Jammu, H S Lachhipur, Kathua, Sanskriti School, Kathua, Montessori City School, Kathua, wards of staff of G G M Science College, Jammu and 01 each from APS Ratnuchak, Samba, Cambridge International School, Jammu, Shiksha Niketan School, Jammu, Chack Drab Khan, Lower Kathua, SHCHS Billawar, Kathua, Doon International School, Srinagar, Doon International School, Kupwara, Jammu G M S Bhaga Chack, Kathua, Bhartiya Vidya Mandir, Mandli, Kathua, PCSS School, Jammu, PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya, Hiranagar, Kathua, Doon International School, Jammu, SPMR College of Commerce, Jammu and the ward of staff member of Manav Rachna International University, Jammu.
100 Toppers from J&K in Category, 6th to 8th Class
In the Category of student participants from Class 6th to 8th, 100 toppers have been listed from J&K and they have made their respective institutions proud. Their institution-wise count is: JNV Kishtwar (18), Govt HSS Khara Madana (16), Dogra Higher Secondary School, Jammu (15), JNV, Navnagri, Pulwama (13), APS Damana, Jammu (08). 04 students are from BSF Sr Sec School, Jammu and 03 Topper students each are from APS Samba, K C International School, Jammu, Sant Hare Ram Dass Public School, Mandal, Jammu and SBYBVM Dadwara, Kathua. 02 Topper students each are from Doon International School, Jammu, PM Shri KV No. 1, Udhampur, Presentation Convent Sr Sec School, Jammu and MS Girwa Chack, Kathua. 01 topper student each in this category is from APS Ratnuchak, Jammu, APS Madhopur, Kathua/Punjab, Boys Hr Sec School, Lal Bazar, Srinagar, Jammu Sanskriti School, Kathua and K C International School, Srinagar.
Category: 9th to 12th Class
For reasons not known, only a few student participants of J&K, that is two (2), in senior Category of Class 9th to 12th have found place amongst the toppers. Both of these are from the Presentation Convent Sr Sec School, Jammu and indeed, they have made their school proud.
Category: UG/PG Classes
There is no student participant of J&K listed in the category of toppers from the category of UG/PG classes. This calls for better participation and still better performance next time.
An Analysis
A cursory look on the results of NSPC–24 reveals that in many instances, different students of the same institution have written the names of their respective institutions differently. Thus, the total strength of contestants of a single institution has got segregated amongst differently written names of the same institution, which has camouflaged the real count. To make the position clear, following few instances are given:
(I) The actual participant count of Army Public School, Damana, Jammu, is 765, but the count has got segregated as: Army Public School Domana: 539, APS Damana: 178, Army Public School Damana Jammu: 40 and APS Domana: 18.
(II) Similarly, the actual participant count of Dogra Higher Secondary School, Jammu is 652, but the number has got segregated as: Dogra Higher Secondary School: 581, Dogra Higher Secondary School Jammu: 39, Dogra Hr Sec School: 17 and Dogra Higher Secondary: 15.
Obviously, if all the students of Army Public School Damana Jammu had written the names of their schools in a uniform pattern, its Over All Rank would have improved to 39th from 73rd and that of Dogra Higher Secondary School, Jammu, from 66th to 49th.
A few other examples where uniformity was not maintained by students in writing the school names are:
(III) Sant Hare Ram Dass Public School with participant count of 169, Sant Hare Ram Dass Public School Mandal with participant count of 62 and SHRD Public School with participant count of 14. By adopting a uniform pattern in writing the school name, the total count of 245 participants for Sant Hare Ram Dass Public School, Mandal, Jammu would have been easily arrived at.
(IV) 46 students have written the name of a school as Army Public School only, but the name of place/location isn't given.
(V) Total count of Army Public School, Kalu Chak, Jammu's participants sums up to 53, but by writing the institution name differently, the results have been reflected as Army Public School, Kalu Chak: 25, APS Kaku Chak: 17 and APS Kalu Chak, Jammu: 11.
(VI) Students of KC International School, Jammu also, instead of putting up a joint face as KC International School, Jammu, with total count of 57, have registered themselves separately as belonging to KC International School (38) and KC International School, Jammu (19).
(VII) Similarly, instead of putting up a joint face as BSF Senior Secondary School, Jammu, with total count of 95, the contestants have registered themselves separately as participants of BSF Senior Secondary School (35), BSF Sr Sec School (27), BSF Senior Secondary School Jammu (23) and BSF Sr Sec School Jammu (10), which gives a distorted picture of participation.
The purpose of this empirical analysis is to caution the students, that while dealing with information and data in digital media, the user must maintain the desired accuracy, precision and specification, because the computers take and yield the data and information in the format, for what these have been programmed.
Moral of the Story
Feed the data and information to the computer in that format only, which facilitates easily comprehendible results.
Commendation
It is a matter of hearty greetings for all the students, their teachers and guides, principals, parents and friends in the Union Territory, who worked with zeal and zest and facilitated the participation of thousands of student contestants in the online National Students Paryavaran (Environment) Competition 2024.
Mentioning the names of institutions whose students of primary, middle, senior, graduate and post graduate classes have prominently participated and performed very well in the Competition, besides securing top places amongst the students of the country, has duly honoured the institutions and motivated others as well to participate in such competitions.
The event has roused the consciousness of not only the participants, but also their family members and friends, in favour of urgency to care for the environment. It is creditable that thousands of students adhered to the competition guidelines and thus, displayed their eagerness to work for restoration of the clean and green environment.
Paryavaran Sanrakshan Gatividhi, J&K has congratulated all the contestants and also their teachers, guides and parents, while wishing them all the best in the healthy future endeavours.
