International Journal of Commerce and Management Research

Authors
Dr. Ramesh Kulkarni

Abstract
We are in the era of sustainable development and application of green concept in all most all facets of management and life, e.g Green banking, Green Marketing, Green Building, Green hospitals and so on and so forth. Now focus is on green campuses. Institutions have long been agents of change – cata­lysts for social and political action as well as centres of learning. Institutions not only educate most of the leaders, decision-makers, teachers and advance the but as major employers and consumers of goods and services. They play a significant economic role nationally and glob­ally. Education has been described as humanity’s best hope and most effective means in the quest to achieve sustainable development. In this context, Institutions have a special responsibility to help define and also to exemplify best practice. The government of India is promoting green campus concept in education sector through its new policy via UGC. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all educational institutions to develop green campuses in a bid to promote the idea. As per a circular dated March 10, the UGC has asked Institution officials to send proposals under the Development of Solar Cities programme. The project, under the ministry of new and renewable energy, aims at a minimum reduction of at least 10% in the projected demand for conventional energy at the end of five years, read the circular. This will be done once colleges are shortlisted following which energy efficient measures will be implemented on the campus (1). As per the plan, measures such as an energy-efficient street lighting system with proper control, low-energy fixtures, energy-efficient pumping system, energy-efficient motors and use of star-rated equipment will be implemented at the institutes included in the list of green campuses. Whereas implementation of this new scheme or an attempt to go green is not that simple to accomplish. The conversion poses lot of challenges and issues. Few of them being, water, waste, transportation, building and infrastructure etc. each of which are discussed in this paper with an objective to identify the allied opportunities and challenges for green campuses.