SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION IN INDIA A discourse in education development

Abstract

Education is the best means to achieve both awareness and dissemination of sustainability knowledge and thinking to a population of 1.4 billion in India. • India was one of the earliest signatories to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has initiated a number of programs to include sustainability in national educational plans. However, more effort is needed to increase curricula focus on education for sustainable development in India, as most efforts are still voluntary in nature. • The establishment of national and regional organizations to conduct research on sustainability education, the initiatives of various educational boards, and the creation of the University Grants Commission to introduce short-duration courses on sustainable development have been notable items of progress in Indian sustainability education development. • The role of voluntary organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in promoting sustainable development education has also been important. • Instead of stand-alone courses on sustainability, there is a need to incorporate sustainability into all courses and programs. Above all, there is a need to train teachers in sustainability education. • Sustainability education and values education are inextricably linked, with the latter providing fundamental moral and political ideals that help to underwrite the sustainability norms and dispositions required in sustainability education.