Sri Vijaya Puram, July 17: The Zoological Survey of India, Andaman & Nicobar Regional Centre is organizing a three-day training workshop on Awareness and Promotion of Life Activities under the ‘Training of Personnel of Other Stakeholders’ for the Teachers of Andaman & Nicobar Islands sponsored by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India from July 17 to 19, 2025 at ZSI Auditorium, Sri Vijaya Puram. The workshop was inaugurated by the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration, Dr. Chandra Bhushan Kumar, IAS as chief guest.
In his address, the Chief Secretary appreciated ZSI for conducting such kind of workshop regularly for teaching communities. He highlighted the pivotal role of technology, inclusive education, and community engagement in biodiversity conservation. He stressed that teachers from all parts of the Islands, including remote areas, must be given equal opportunities to participate in environmental education programs. With the aid of technology and online platform, he noted that such programs can become accessible, participatory, and impactful, reaching far beyond traditional classroom boundaries.
The Chief Secretary also proposed the development of a calendar of environmental awareness activities to be shared with the Education Department allowing schools to systematically integrate biodiversity related topics throughout the academic year. The Chief Secretary further suggested engaging senior school students (Classes IX & XI) in these initiatives, and this age group is particularly receptive to environmental values and empowering them to lead change within their communities. He also shared the story of a transformative environmental experiment from Maharashtra, where barren land was transformed into a forest ecosystem through sustained individual effort.
The Chief Secretary encouraged the creation of micro learning content, such as small videos and information booklets, which can be accessed via smartphones to ensure wider knowledge dissemination. He concluded by stressing the importance of recognizing local ecological shifts, such as changes in fruiting patterns of mango trees, as indicators of climate change. He called on institutions to collaborate with the Education Department, adopt modern tools, and ensure that environmental learning reaches every corner of the Islands.
The session commenced with a welcome address by Dr. C. Sivaperuman, Officer-in-Charge and Course Director, who outlined the structure and objectives of the workshop. The workshop includes expert lectures and a field visit to intertidal habitats of Burmanallah and Chidiyatappu Biological Park to exposure the marine biodiversity, endemic and terrestrial fauna of this island ecosystem.
A total of 27 School Teachers from 15 different Schools from South Andaman are participating in the workshop. The technical session started with series of expert lectures.