Udhayanidhi Stalin Distributes Climate Fellowship Certificates to 40 Environmental Youth Fellows

Chennai, Aug 2025 : Hon’ble Tamil Nadu Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin, today (04.08.2025) presided over a function at the Secretariat where he distributed Climate Fellowship Certificates to 40 Youth Environmental Fellows under the Chief Minister’s Green Fellowship Programme, a pioneering initiative in the field of environment and climate change.

During the event, Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin also released a special newsletter on the Chief Minister’s Green Fellowship Programme. The fellows, selected from across various districts, had a group photograph session with the Minister after receiving their certificates.

Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Mr. M.K. Stalin, the Dravidian Model Government has been at the forefront of environmental conservation through landmark projects such as the Naan Mudhalvan Skill Development Programme, Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation Fund, India’s First Marine Spatial Planning, Wetland Restoration Projects, and Double-Layer Forest Conservation Initiatives. These efforts have established Tamil Nadu as a national leader in climate action.

Recognizing the pivotal role of youth in climate initiatives, Tamil Nadu became the first state in India to launch the Chief Minister’s Green Fellowship Programme, specifically designed to integrate young professionals into district-level climate governance and environmental monitoring systems.

The programme, launched in August 2023 by Chief Minister Stalin, is being implemented in collaboration with Anna University’s Centre for Energy Studies. Under this initiative, 38 district-level environmental fellows and two state-level fellows were selected through a rigorous process, forming a team of 40 Green Fellows. Additionally, a dedicated Climate Governance Unit has been established to oversee and coordinate district-level climate actions, in collaboration with key environmental movements like Green Tamil Nadu Movement, Climate Action Movement, Wetland Protection Movement, and Restoration Campaigns.

The first batch of fellows, whose tenure concluded in June 2025, has significantly contributed to developing district-level knowledge repositories on environmental and climate challenges, raising public awareness about pollution control, wetland restoration, climate-resilient villages, and coastal adaptation initiatives.

These fellows have also played a vital role in coordinating grassroots environmental monitoring, integrating data on air, water, and waste management at the district level. Tamil Nadu now ranks first in India in terms of comprehensive, district-integrated climate governance through this fellowship model.

In June 2025, applications for the second batch of 38 district-level Green Fellows were invited. Out of nearly 9,000 applicants, candidates were shortlisted based on their educational qualifications, proficiency in Tamil language, environmental awareness, and data analytics skills. Selected fellows are awarded a monthly stipend of ₹65,000, along with an additional ₹10,000 for travel and field expenses.

The newly selected fellows will undergo a 30-day induction training, followed by postings in respective District Collectorates. Their field engagement, monthly reporting, and performance assessments will be monitored jointly by the Department of Environment and Climate Change and Anna University.

The Chief Minister’s Green Fellowship Programme is set to become a cornerstone in Tamil Nadu’s climate preparedness and sustainability roadmap. Some fellows from the first batch have already been integrated into government climate resilience programmes, while others have joined higher educational pursuits in climate science and environmental management.

Moving forward, this fellowship initiative will expand in scale, encompassing public awareness campaigns, climate literacy, district-level environmental governance, and actionable policy recommendations, reinforcing Tamil Nadu’s leadership at the national level in sustainable climate action.

The event was attended by Hon’ble Minister for Finance, Environment and Climate Change Mr. Thangam Thennarasu, Additional Chief Secretary Mrs. Supriya Sahu (IAS), Director of Environment and Climate Change Mr. A.R. Rahul Nath (IAS), Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Mr. Srinivas R. Reddy (IFS), Special Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Mr. Anurag Mishra (IAS), Special Secretary for Planning Mr. Ashish Kumar Srivastava (IAS), Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board Ms. M. Satyajyothi (IAS), Registrar of Anna University Mr. S. Prakash, and Director of Centre for Energy Studies at Anna University, Mr. M. Sengottaiyan.

Issued by: Director, Department of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9