BACKGROUNDER
(Environmental education, awareness and training are important scheme of the Ministry of Environment and Forests for enhancing the understanding of people at all the levels about the relationship between the human beings and the environment and to develop the capabilities to improve and protect the environment. There are different terms and conditions for NGOs who join this project. We present here respective terms and conditions for them in a series.)
There are various schemes to encourage the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to participate in environmental projects of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. They are Environmental Research Promotion including National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS); Pollution Control Projects; Greening India Scheme under National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board; Conservation; Environment Education, awareness and Centres of excellence scheme; Environmental Information System (ENVIS); Animal Welfare and National River Conservation Project (NRCP).Terms and conditions and eligibility criteria for funding vary for different types of NGOs.
Environment Education.
Eligibility:
Seminars / symposia / workshops / conferences
Any recognized academic / research institution or Government Department / Government undertaking having at least 3 years experience of working in environment related subjects. Any registered voluntary / professional organisation / Trust having proven credential, and experience in environmental field and registered under the Societies Registration Act for minimum three years and raising audited accounts.
Professional societies and institutions – capacity building
Any registered voluntary / professional organisation or academic / research institution or museum / science centre having proven credential or Government Department actively involved in the field of environment education and awareness for a minimum period of three years.
Publication of resource material related to environment
Any voluntary / professional organisation or academic / research institution or museum / science centre or Government Department actively involved in the field of environmental education and awareness.
The organisation / Department should have worked in the field of environment education / awareness / extension for a minimum period of three years and during this period, the organisation should have developed considerable expertise and should be excellent track record of working in this area.
Under the scheme, grant is not provided for publication of newsletters, magazines, journals, periodicals etc. or to any publisher / business house including individuals.
The cut-off dates for receiving proposals in the Ministry seeking grant under the scheme Seminar/Symposia/Workshops/Conferences are:
– 7th March for the quarter April, May, & June.
– 7th June for the quarter July, August, & September
– 7th September for the quarter October, November, & December
7th December for the quarter January, February, & March.
Proposals received after the stipulated last date would be rejected.
Centres of Excellence:
Eligibility:
Any recognized academic / research institution or Government Department / Government undertaking having more than 10 years experience of working in environmental related subjects. l Any registered voluntary / professional organisation / Trust having proven credential, and experience in environmental field and registered under the Societies Registration Act for minimum 10 years and raising audited accounts.
Environmental Information
Criteria of selection of ENVIS Centre:
ENVIS Centres are to be set up on subject areas, concern and priority for both Central and State/UT Governments.
ENVIS Centres are to be located in leading institutions/ organisations in the country in particular subject area as well as in concerned departments of the State/UT Governments. The institute/ organisation/departments having the ENVIS Centre should have the necessary expertise and capability to run a subject – oriented information Centre and should have the interest and willingness to serve the user community of ENVIS with substantive information as and when required.
Terms and conditions
(a) Approval of the Grant being released is for the specific purpose of the ENVIS Centre and the grant should be exclusively spent on the ENVIS Centre for which it has been sanctioned within the stipulated time. Any unspent amount, out of the grant given by the Ministry, would be required to be surrendered to the Ministry and carry forward of unutilised amount from one financial year to the next financial year for utilisation for the ENVIS Centre would require the specific approval of the Ministry.
(b) For permanent, semi-permanent assets acquired solely or mainly out of the grant, including books, periodicals and furniture etc., an audited record in the form of Register in the prescribed proforma shall be maintained by the grantee organisation. The term ‘Assets’ here means (a) immovable property and (b) movable property of a capital nature where the value exceeds Rs. 1,000/-.
The grant should not be utilised for construction of any building and full facilities by way of accommodation and infrastructural facilities etc. required for the ENVIS Centre will be provided by the grantee organisation.
(c) All the assets including equipment and prototypes acquired from the grant will be the property of the Government of India and without the prior sanction of the Ministry should not be disposed of or encumbered or utilised for any purposes other than those for which the grant has been sanctioned.
(d) In case the ENVIS Centre is closed down, the Government of India will be free to sell or otherwise dispose of assets, which are the property of the Government of India. The grantee organisation shall render to the Government of India necessary facilities for arranging the sale of these assets. The Govt. of India has the discretion to gift the assets to the grantee organisation; if the Govt. of India considers it appropriate.
(e) The grantee organisation will furnish yearly progress reports of the work done at the ENVIS Centre. The Ministry can depute scientists/ specialists to visit the grantee organisation periodically for reviewing the progress of work and for suggesting such measures as to ensure early realisation of the objectives of the ENVIS Centre. Full facilities are to be provided by the grantee organisation to the visiting scientists/ specialists.
(f) The grantee organisation is required to send to the Ministry at the end of each financial year and at the time of seeking further installments of the grant a list of assets referred to in (2) above.
(g) The grantee organisation would furnish to the Ministry a utilization certificate as in within sixty days from the closure of each financial year i.e. by 31st May of each year for the grant released during the previous financial year. An audited statement of accounts and Utilization Certificate pertaining to the grant may also be furnished in due course. However, in case of NGOs, Professional Bodies/Registered Societies audited UC and Expenditure Statement of the previous grant are required to be submitted.
(h)The Comptroller and Auditor General of India at his discretion shall have the right access to the books and accounts of the Grantee organisation for the grants received from the Government of India.
(i) The grantee organisation would maintain separate audited accounts for the centre. If it is found expedient to keep a part or whole of the grant in a bank account earning interest, the interest thus earned should be reported to the Ministry. The interest thus earned will be treated as a credit to the grantee organisation to be adjusted towards further installments of the grant.
(j) Sale proceeds if any as a result of the activities of the centre arising directly from the funds granted by the Ministry shall be remitted to the Government of India. The Government of India may at its discretion allow a portion of such receipts to be retained by the grantee organisation.
(k) The grantee organisation is not permitted to entrust the implementation of the ENVIS Centre, for which the grant is being sanctioned, to any other organisation and diversion of the grants or any portion of it as assistance to any other organisation. In case, the grantee organisation is not in a position to execute or complete the work, it is required to refund forthwith to the Ministry the entire amount of grant received by it. In exceptional cases, this condition may be relaxed by the Government of India.
(l) The Ministry reserves the right to terminate the grant at any stage, if convinced that the grant has not been properly utilised or appropriate progress is not being made.
(m) The ENVIS Centre will become operative with effect from the date on which the grant is received by the grantee organisation. The date of receipt of the grant will be intimated by the grantee organisation to the Ministry.
(n) The terms and conditions of service of staff in the ENVIS Centre would be governed by the rules and regulations prevailing in the organisation/institute in which the ENVIS Centre is located. Ministry will not have any liability in such matters, including deployment of the staff in the event of closure of the ENVIS Centre, since the staff will be borne on the strength of the organisation/ institute in which the ENVIS Centre is located.
KP