'20 Plants, 20 Numbers': Govt plans to reward varsity students with marks for planting trees
The federal government plans to incentivise students to plant trees by offering 20 extra marks to students who plant at least 20 saplings, according to Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul. A legislation to this effect is being introduced in parliament and is aimed at integrating youth in the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami plantation project.
The minister, in an interview with the state-owned news agency Associated Press of Pakistan, said the unique effort was being developed to require each university graduate to plant at least 20 trees during the course of their education, in accordance with the prime minister's vision of a clean and green Pakistan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has stressed upon the involvement of the youth to address the challenges of climate change and environmental conservation. Last week in a ceremony held to mark World Environment Day in Islamabad, he said that Pakistan's youth was its biggest advantage and could play a role in protecting the environment.
Explaining the proposed scheme, Gul said that additional marks would be given to students for planting trees as part of educational activities; similar to the extra marks given under the National Cadet Corps programme.
She added that the legislation would make it mandatory for a university graduate to plant 20 saplings while the university and district administrations would help in locating feasible plantation sites.
The minister said that under the scheme, millions of saplings could be planted every year which would prove to be a valuable asset for the country's future and upcoming generations.
"Under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan for a clean and green Pakistan, full participation of the youth in the movement to plant more trees in the country will be encouraged through this legislation," she said.
"Programmes like 20 Plants 20 Numbers will not only encourage the youth to be a part of this national goal but will also fulfil the dream of making Pakistan a green and prosperous country."
She stressed that the active participation of all sections of society was being ensured for the success of the Clean and Green Pakistan movement and the prime minister wanted to make the future, for upcoming generations, safe and sustainable through nature conservation.
"Prime Minister Imran Khan, to this end, not only presented the idea of a clean, green and prosperous Pakistan [but] also put it into practice. He has introduced a number of revolutionary initiatives for environmental preservation," said the minister.
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Comments (71) Closed
Jun 10, 2021 07:05pm
Great initiative for young generation not for gaining education marks but learning to get involved in a great move to make Pakistan green.
Sincerely
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Jun 10, 2021 07:05pm
Government needs to highlight the areas where they can be planted, in cities, rural areas, motorways, mountain areas, hill tops, deserted places etc. Don't have them planting willy nilly just to be torn down by local authorities.
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Jun 10, 2021 07:09pm
Also we have to save our birds an important part of ecosystem by placing water and bajra for them under shady trees, population of our birds are rapidly declining due to deforestation done by people to make new societies
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Jun 10, 2021 07:12pm
A creative initiative!
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Jun 10, 2021 07:15pm
Well the Minister should know that in the coming years these students will become the next leaders of Pakistan. Nobody would want to go to a doctor who got marks because of planting trees or build roads with an engineer who got marks because of planting trees etc.
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Jun 10, 2021 07:16pm
good initiative
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Jun 10, 2021 07:16pm
good initiative
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Jun 10, 2021 07:17pm
Ma’am what are you up to?
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Jun 10, 2021 07:20pm
they are making education a joke !
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Jun 10, 2021 07:22pm
Wouldnt it be better if we had lesser societies developed by cutting of thousands of acres of forests? The elite is destroying everything and they want the peasants to keep building so they can again destroy it. Peasanta meanwhile are deprived of any time to think engage and set a direction for themselves because they are being kept so occupied with all this 3rd world hypocracy.
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Jun 10, 2021 07:27pm
That's so creative and would be an amazing contribution towards a noble and global cause. Hatsoff to whoever came with this idea. Please add matric and intermediate students in this cause too.
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Jun 10, 2021 07:37pm
Another NCC training plan
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Jun 10, 2021 07:39pm
Super nice.
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Jun 10, 2021 07:49pm
Love this.
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Jun 10, 2021 07:54pm
Although not practical, at least it creates a dialogue among people by highlighting the importance of green spaces and conservation among general population.
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Jun 10, 2021 07:55pm
@Maud, makes a mockery of our universities if you can get 20 marks for planting a tree. our university degrees are already not regarded highly now this will make them even less regarded and rightly so if you get marks for planting a tree.. absolutely ridiculous initiative
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Jun 10, 2021 07:56pm
A single mark matters. Don't trivialize education. Let this matter to educationists.
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Jun 10, 2021 07:57pm
And who will water them, where will the water come from, if people don't have enough water to drink themselves or for daily household consumption??
Ambitious goals but not thought through. That's why ordinary tap water is being sold in bottles for Rs. 50 per liter in stores. What is too precious for anyone to use them on plants, unfortunately.
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Jun 10, 2021 08:02pm
How this is going to be tracked? And university mark schemes are not standard schemes like Board exams so there is hardly any comparison possible..
One big issue is who will allocate land for this?
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Jun 10, 2021 08:18pm
Great intiative but proper procedure should be formulated that include provision of plants
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Jun 10, 2021 08:21pm
Absurd. Literally forcing people to join a ‘green scheme’. Shameful.
Protection of environment is a State’s responsibility. What have they done? Can’t they plant millions of trees every year? Have they introduced legislation to curb industrial pollution? Signed MOUs with China to improve renewable sources across China and Pakistan? Have you improved public transport so people buy less cars/bikes? Have you phased out coal power plants and other polluting industries?
All talk. No walk.
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Jun 10, 2021 08:48pm
@Humza, Protection of environment is everyone's responsibility. So in simple words, you want keep on littering and want state to keep on picking up garbage.
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Jun 10, 2021 09:01pm
@Humza, A glass half full mindset. Change it.
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Jun 10, 2021 09:01pm
Pakistan does not have enough lad to plant a billion trees. Who are they kidding.
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Jun 10, 2021 09:01pm
A commendable initiative. Will be adopted in other Asian countries with literate leaders.
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Jun 10, 2021 09:11pm
Check murree and trees being cut by your party members in the name of construction
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Jun 10, 2021 09:15pm
I remember such initiatives from my school time. Children do everything to get good marks even destroying existing plants and trees to get bushes.
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Jun 10, 2021 09:16pm
@Humza, this is such a wrong argument on so many levels. The governments have responsibility to legislate while citizens are the ones that implement them. There are so many legislations to not litter and clean your neighborhood clean but with citizen involvement, this cannot succeed. Moreover, students planting trees is one way to learn and find the love for plants and Mother Nature. Your criticism is beyond imagination.
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Jun 10, 2021 09:19pm
@Humza,it’s just not the state responsibility but everyone’s
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Jun 10, 2021 09:19pm
Imagine these kids with 20 plant marks becoming doctors and pilots..
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Jun 10, 2021 09:22pm
Good initiative,
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Jun 10, 2021 09:25pm
Great initiative. Some universities had compulsory social work to get a degree. A variety of social activities can be added to this initiative. Instead of giving bonus marks to pass, these activities should be made mandatory for students and in some way for public in general.
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Jun 10, 2021 09:29pm
Great initiative but should be monitored effectively
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Jun 10, 2021 09:29pm
@Humza, It is the responsibility of all of us. This country and the planet belong to all of us. We should do anything we can to keep it habitable for our (your and mine) future generations.
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Jun 10, 2021 09:31pm
Excellent initiative. I did a whole year of NCC training at college to get 20 marks. This is piece of cake. Please increase the number of trees and a robust verification methodology.
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Jun 10, 2021 09:48pm
Great initiative but we need to reward extra marks for achievements in science and technology. We are way behind in this field
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Jun 10, 2021 09:48pm
@Iqbal Aswani, A “responsibility”. Not an obligation. Most certainly not a forced one.
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Jun 10, 2021 09:51pm
@Zak , I don’t have a problem with the “purpose” behind the initiative. It’s the way its being carried out.
You let them do this. Soon they’ll be saying that those who don’t plant 20 saplings will incur an “Environmental Tax/Fine”
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Jun 10, 2021 10:02pm
@Humza, the public has no clean green aticates, they clean the house and discard all mud and dirt out in street by the main door of the house.This mud & garbage comes back to the house soon again.So a very inovative attitude of Govt.to bring varsity students in main stream of green Pakistan.
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Jun 10, 2021 10:05pm
Thinking outside the box - well done, Pakistan is a environmental high risk country and fragile.
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Jun 10, 2021 10:21pm
Stop bribing students .
Volunteer hours are honored in western countries .
Please make it mandatory requirement for graduation .
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Jun 10, 2021 10:40pm
Serve government policies and get marks. Is there a dearth of people planting trees that the government had to offer this incentive?
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Jun 10, 2021 10:52pm
@Ramay, Then it should start with simple awareness programme - from a very early age. From Class 1 on-wards. Look at Japan as an example (kids in primary education are taught to clean schools/etc to learn about keeping the environment clean).
Also, cleanliness and not littering in public is a basic concept even in our religion.
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Jun 10, 2021 10:52pm
@Ihsan, Absolutely. I don't disagree at all :)
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Jun 10, 2021 10:59pm
@Asad, First of all, there aren't many laws (I'm a lawyer). Secondly, implementation of laws is State's responsibility.
I get what you're saying, but State has the writ to implement laws. Saying "citizens implement it" is like saying "Pakistan has laws against murder/crime, but people need to implement it"?
I don't disagree with teaching kids about planting trees, environment, climate change etc
Also, who is paying for the sapling (arent cheap)? The kids. Great way to widen the disparity.
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Jun 10, 2021 11:10pm
Another foolish idea , linking exam marks to planting trees. Instead of encouraging and teaching the intrinsic importance of planting trees as a good deed , this government is trying to convert it into a materialistic activity . This reflects the mindset of Imran Nazi and his greedy and corrupt party members , from top to bottom. This is what they want to teach the younger generation.
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Jun 10, 2021 11:14pm
@Ahsan Gul, it's quite shameful to connect marks to tree planting . Instead , the students and youth should be taught the intrinsic value of doing good deeds without expectation of worldly rewards . This will only encourage more corruption in education, for the sake of marks . Why study ? Instead get your dad to buy you more trees and get the gardener to plant them and get higher marks. Is this the sort of youth you want for the future?
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Jun 11, 2021 12:03am
Great Idea.
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Jun 11, 2021 12:07am
And who plans to nurture (water/fertilizer) the plants so they don't die? Or are we going to be effectively wasting money each year similar to NCC (at least that was fun).
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Jun 11, 2021 12:23am
Which plants? where can they plant? how? In front of their house and tagged them? who will give them 20 marks? Todays In front of every house people park their cars, so where should they plants?
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Jun 11, 2021 12:42am
What an absurd idea to award 20 marks for 20 trees! Which other country, if any, introduced such scheme, I dare ask my favorite PM Imran who eventually appointed Zartaj as minister? More you think more you laugh to be honest. Relying on the equation, I am asking the learned minister to tell me in black and white devoid of any ifs and buts that if a student plants 100 trees will the student get 100 marks? I am afraid world will jeer at such if CNN relays the news. zaidi4merdiplomat@hotmail.com
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Jun 11, 2021 01:03am
Funny idea. Planting twenty trees is no problem but who will verify it. Much bigger than planting is maintenance, guarding and watering . For the last seventy years each year in Feb. and August million of trees have been planted. If these were maintain and , guarded and watered by this time entire Pakistan will be covered by forest. Imran Khan claims to have planted billions of trees at considerable cost, I am sure most of them must be dead because of above mentioned reasons.
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Jun 11, 2021 01:09am
I request PM to give 20 marks to the minister for the great idea.
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Jun 11, 2021 01:33am
Creative thinking. We must all strive for plantation of trees at any cost or reward.
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Jun 11, 2021 01:46am
Some original thinking. Students must be encouraged to not only plant but also asked to ensure plants survive,
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Jun 11, 2021 04:01am
Khan....all the way! Godspeed....
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Jun 11, 2021 05:11am
Trees instead of education?
Rather make Govt employees plant tree else salaries will be withheld.
Don’t force students to spend time.
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Jun 11, 2021 05:18am
This is innovative, given the learning about better ENVIRONMENT is their future and to be conscious of and part of it what, why and how to do it is better than ignorance, its literacy. Well done to the minister and PMIK, bless Pakistan.
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Jun 11, 2021 05:29am
I will say pay them money or concession in tuition fees than marks. Marks will disadvantage female students; because female students won't be able to equally participate with full social freedom that male counterparts enjoy particularity in smaller cities and towns.
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Jun 11, 2021 06:03am
Great move and wonderful news.
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Jun 11, 2021 06:37am
20 trees for 20 points.. so cheap. It should be atleast 200 trees. Time to plant 14 days
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Jun 11, 2021 07:21am
Wonderful idea......thumps up !
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Jun 11, 2021 07:23am
Good thinking and good approach for a noble cause. This is naya Pakistan. No one should have expected this in the era of the past two regimes, where they had been playing corruption corruption.
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Jun 11, 2021 07:25am
The federal government plans to incentivise students to plant trees by offering 20 extra marks to students who plant at least 20 saplings, "
In past it was Drs who were shown doors in Gulf,then came the turn of Pilots and with this I don't think students will get admission in Western Universities . Chinese may take them in..
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Jun 11, 2021 07:29am
Taking money from everywhere possible for green initiatives, and then asking students to plant trees without any funding?
What are you doing with funds? Another fraud? Another scam?
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Jun 11, 2021 07:30am
Great initiative, but it should be countrywide and how will the mechanism work to ensure the implementation of the initiative, means all the students must be rewarded of their efforts in contributing to the country.
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Jun 11, 2021 07:59am
Innovative initiative. Major step towards PMIK’s TBT. Another idea could be 20 extra marks for 100% attendance. This will bring self discipline and community responsibilities.
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Jun 11, 2021 08:01am
Destroying education by such stupid policies. Might be alright at primary level. Implementation of this policy at school or college level is Absurd.
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Jun 11, 2021 10:40am
By implication, why 20 trees? Assign 100m trees and shut down universities.
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Jun 11, 2021 12:08pm
What an absurd idea to award 20 marks for 20 trees! Which other country, if any, introduced such scheme, I dare ask my favorite PM Imran who eventually appointed Zartaj as minister? More you think more you laugh to be honest. Relying on the equation, I am asking the learned minister to tell me in black and white devoid of any ifs and buts that if a student plants 100 trees will the student get 100 marks? I am afraid world will jeer at such if CNN relays the news. zaidi4merdiplomat@hotmail.com
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Jun 11, 2021 12:14pm
Not a viable approach...students are already using short cuts to get higher grades than what they deserve...such half baked-ideas will create grade inflation!
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