About 20 per cent of Bangalore's population is below 15 years. So, how can anyone possibly leave these future citizens aside in the quest for a better future?

Realising this, the Himalaya Drug Company along with Tata Energy Research Institute (Teri), an NGO, launched a year-long awareness programme on environment-health linkages for school and college students.

Students from 10 schools and five colleges in the city are participating in the programme, which aims to deepen the understanding of youth on environment and health linkages, inspire them to take action towards improving their personal and environmental health and provide an informed basis for their proactive efforts, said Ravi Prasad, President and CEO of Himalaya Drugs.

Divided into three modules, the programme will involve research, finding practical solutions for pollution and implementing them. Students will be involved in activities such as photography, street theatre, debates, essay writing, quiz, music, cartooning, slogans, cross words, banner painting, news letter preparation and field visits.

Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) National Selection Committee Chairman Syed Kirmani distributed medicinal plants to schools and colleges. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Madhav Gadgil of the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, exuded optimism about the future of the environment.