Children spend a majority of their waking hours in school where teachers and other staff work tirelessly to give them quality education. The future generations of the country are nurtured here. Lessons learnt in school are remembered life-long and it is important to train school children on issues related to sustainability, so that we have a new generation of Green leaders.

With this objective, TERI and ADaRSH are pleased to announce the launch of 'GRIHA - SRISHTI Rating for Sustainable Schools', 'a step ahead to go Green'. The learning-cum-rating process has two modules - training (SRISHTI) and rating (GRIHA).

SRISHTI will help in creating a more sustainable education system by imparting environmentally ethical values among the students and the faculty. The intent is to extend learning beyond the classrooms and develop responsible attitudes that result in reduction of wasteful consumption, sharing and caring for the environment, and imbibing healthier and greener lifestyles. SRISHTI will involve training of staff and evaluation of environmentally responsible practices on and off campus. This will provide a road-map to a healthier lifestyle through incorporation of sustainable measures such as reuse of waste, active transport, community participation, etc.

The rating will be facilitated through GRIHA for Schools. GRIHA for Schools will assess and evaluate the energy and environmental performance of a school holistically (vis-à-vis established benchmarks and best practices). The categories under which the assessment/evaluation shall be done include site planning, carbon footprint, energy and water efficiency, renewable energy utilization, indoor environmental quality, and solid waste management, among others. ADaRSH-TERI technical experts shall carry out the energy and environmental audit and provide recommendations on how to improve environmental performance of the school. The rating will take place in two steps. The first level of rating shall be based on assessment of existing performance (subject to meeting the basic requirements of rating). At the second stage, recommendations on retrofit shall be provided and after implementing the recommended measures, the school shall have a choice to re-evaluate its facilities and upgrade the level of rating. SRISHTI-GRIHA shall be a participatory process that shall engage with the management, students, faculty, and maintenance professionals of the school.