Environmental Education (EVS)
A mandatory subject in primary classes (often called EVS — Environmental Studies) that integrates science, social studies and sustainability around the child's immediate surroundings.
EVS in primary classes
From Class 1 to Class 5, EVS replaces separate Science and Social Studies. Children learn about family, neighbourhood, food, water, shelter, plants, animals, festivals and travel — through observation, drawing, field visits and storytelling. The Supreme Court of India has made environmental education compulsory at every stage of school.
From EVS to environmental literacy
Beyond Class 5, environmental themes are woven into Science, Geography and Civics: water cycles, ecosystems, climate change, biodiversity, pollution and conservation. ICSE schools have dedicated Environmental Education at Class 9-10; CBSE integrates it across subjects.
Action over textbook
Strong environmental education shows up in school habits: waste segregation, kitchen gardens, water-saving practices, plastic-free events and tree-planting drives. Ask any school what its environmental practices look like — not just what its EVS textbook says.
Related terms
Value Education
A broader, umbrella term for the deliberate teaching of personal, social and constitutional values — extending Moral Science into citizenship, financial responsibility and digital ethics.
Inquiry-Based Learning
A pedagogy where the lesson starts with a question or problem and students investigate, hypothesise and arrive at understanding — rather than receiving information first.
NCERT
The National Council of Educational Research and Training — the government body that publishes the standard Indian textbooks used by CBSE and many state boards.