Rajgir: Nalanda University has concluded its five-day Executive Certificate Course in Net-Zero Strategy, held from December 25–29 at its Net-Zero campus in Rajgir. The intensive programme drew policymakers, government officials, sustainability experts, architects, engineers, and practitioners from India and abroad to discuss the scientific, technological, policy, and ethical dimensions of the global transition to Net Zero.
The inaugural session featured several distinguished figures, including Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University; Dr. Rajendra Singh, the Magsaysay Award-winning environmentalist known as the “Waterman of India”; Prof. Chetan Singh Solanki, widely recognised as the “Solar Man of India”; architect Rajeev Kathpalia; and Apurva Chaturvedi, Senior Strategic Clean Energy Advisor and member of the Net-Zero Steering Committee.
Dr. Singh delivered a public lecture titled “Water for Net-Zero”, emphasising the central role of water in climate action. He argued that “climate is water, and water is climate,” highlighting community-led water stewardship, indigenous knowledge systems, and the link between water security and climate resilience.
Professor Chaturvedi said the programme reflected Nalanda’s broader vision: “Nalanda’s Net-Zero initiative is not merely a technological pursuit but a civilisational responsibility. Drawing from the ethos of the ancient Nalanda, our endeavour is to harmonise knowledge, ethics and ecological consciousness, reaffirming the role of universities as living laboratories for sustainable futures.”
The course offered an integrated approach to energy, water, waste, mobility, materials, and behavioural change, enabling participants to develop actionable Net-Zero roadmaps aligned with national and global climate commitments. Sessions were led by a panel of experts, including Dr. Singh, Prof. Solanki, Ms. Chaturvedi, Mr. Kathpalia, Mr. Upendra Tripathy, Dr. Jai Prakash, and Gurneet Singh, alongside Nalanda University faculty.
From more than 150 applications worldwide, 50 participants were selected, representing government institutions, corporations, academic bodies, and civil society. The programme underscores Nalanda University’s ongoing commitment to climate leadership, sustainability education, and ethical stewardship, establishing it as a global reference for Net-Zero campuses and climate-responsive higher education.
