Kondagaon, Chhattisgarh: In an innovative initiative aimed at connecting school education with agriculture, environmental conservation and entrepreneurship, hundreds of students of Government Higher Secondary School, Mayur Dongar, in Kondagaon district were provided free saplings of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum), Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia) and Sindoori (Bixa orellana).
The initiative was undertaken with the support of Maa Danteshwari Herbal Group, with the objective of encouraging students to take an active interest in tree plantation, environmental protection, commercial farming and the conservation of valuable traditional medicinal and plant resources of Bastar. Around 25 progressive farmers from the area also received the saplings free of cost.
During the programme, Anurag Kumar, Director of Maa Danteshwari Herbal Group, explained to the students the practical methods of planting and caring for the saplings. Students were encouraged to take responsibility for nurturing the plants at their homes or other suitable locations.
Addressing the students in Bastar's local Halbi language, Dr. Rajaram Tripathi, Founder of Maa Danteshwari Herbal Group, explained the agricultural and economic potential of Black Pepper and Sindoori. He said that with proper plantation, care and scientific cultivation, such perennial plants could become a source of sustained income for families over many years.
Dr. Tripathi urged students to look at farming not merely as a traditional occupation but as a modern business and an avenue for entrepreneurship. He explained that agriculture today offers opportunities not only in cultivation but also in herbal farming, processing, value addition, packaging, marketing and other agriculture-based enterprises. He told the students that a plant planted today could become an additional source of family income in the coming years. “Planting a sapling is not merely an act of environmental conservation. It can also be an investment in the economic future of a family,” he explained.
A significant message of the programme came from Principal Jameel Khan, who urged students to become capable of creating employment rather than merely seeking jobs. Referring to Dr. Tripathi's own journey, he said that instead of choosing a conventional career such as that of a bank manager, Dr. Tripathi had chosen agriculture, innovation and enterprise as his path.
Khan said that Dr. Tripathi's example demonstrated that farming, when combined with scientific knowledge, innovation, hard work and market understanding, could be transformed into a successful and dignified enterprise. The programme also emphasised that students must not merely take the saplings home but assume responsibility for keeping them alive and helping them grow. The school management encouraged students to make the growth and care of the plants part of their practical learning experience.
Dr. Tripathi announced that the initiative would not end with the distribution of saplings. He will visit the villages again after one year to inspect the plants distributed during the programme. Students and farmers whose plants are found healthy and well maintained will be considered for distribution of additional valuable saplings free of cost.
The programme was organised with the active participation of Principal Jameel Khan, the school management and teaching staff. Jairam Netam, the young Sarpanch of the Gram Panchayat, along with local representatives and villagers, also participated in the programme and received saplings from Dr. Tripathi, taking a pledge to nurture them.
The initiative reflects an effort to bridge the gap between education and livelihood by introducing students at an early stage to the possibilities of agriculture, environmental stewardship and rural entrepreneurship.
At the conclusion of the programme, Sarpanch Jairam Netam expressed gratitude to the entire team of Maa Danteshwari Herbal Group, Principal Jameel Khan, the school management and teachers, the students and all villagers who participated in the initiative.
