Scheme aimed at giving them first-hand experience of the jungle

Bengaluru, Mar 7 (DHNS): The Forest Department has proposed to take students of government high schools on three-day trips to the nearest wildlife sanctuary or national park in the next academic year to give them first-hand experience of and exposure to the wilderness.

Fifty per cent of the schoolchildren will be from the Other Backward Class (OBC), Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities.

The schemed is proposed to be named “Chinnara Udyana Pravasa” (wildlife tour for children). Students of 200-odd government high schools in 100 taluks in the State will be taken on the tour.

Only students of class 9 may be taken on the tours since class 10 pupils will be busy preparing for SSLC examinations while students of lower classes are considered less mature, the department said in its proposal. ReservationSeeking approval from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Finance Department, the Forest Department stated that 50 per cent of the students would be from OBC, SC and ST communities. “Out of 100 students in each batch, at least 50 will be from OBC and SC/ST category,” the department said in the statement of purpose of the scheme.

Students will be taken to the Nagarahole National Park and the Bandipur and Dandeli-Anshi tiger reservers besides the Bannerghatta National Park, depending upon the location of the chosen school.