India’s first fully integrated school of sustainability was launched at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur on Monday in association with the Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited. The Kotak School of Sustainability will run both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes on skill building in different themes of sustainability. The institute will be housed in a green building on IIT Kanpur’s main campus that will be platinum-rated with net zero practices on energy, water, and waste, said an official statement. Union Minister of Education and Skill development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan who was the chief guest at the event said the school will not only be about technology and economics, but will cover the A to Z of sustainability. "This will be instrumental in helping India meet the ambitious target of net zero by 2070, as announced by our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji.” he added. The minister said the Kotak School of Sustainability will give global leadership in the field in line with the history of IIT Kanpur and its alumni who are leaders in organisations across the world. The institute, a CSR initiative of Kotak Mahindra Bank, will be led by tenured professors and leading industry experts from across the globe. Pradhan said, "The National Research Foundation was set up to boost research and innovation through funding from industry and government. I thank Kotak Mahindra Bank for taking the right step and accepting the responsibility by contributing towards setting up the School of Sustainability”. Stating that sustainability has emerged as one of the foremost global challenges requiring various stakeholders to work together, IIT Kanpur director S Ganesh said IIT Kanpur is establishing the Kotak School of Sustainability with "the overall vision of providing thought leadership, developing concrete solutions toward sustainability actions, and preparing future generations to lead the cause. Dr. Abhay Karandikar, Department of Science & Technology Secretary, Nagendra Nath Sinha, Steel Ministry Secretary and Prakash Apte, Kotak Mahindra Bank chairman also attended the event. The Kotak School of Sustainability has been started with a vision to promote pedigree education, research, and outreach, the institute said in a statement. "Sustainability education and research require academic institutions to blend environmental science and clean technology-based approaches with social, economic and ecological aspects of sustainability. Institutions, through Education, Empowerment, and Engagement (3E), can lead climate action, empowering communities and conserving the natural ecosystem," it stated.
