Himachal’s Narag School Secures Third Rank in National ‘Clean and Green’ Ratings

A Sirmaur-based government school has outperformed over a million institutions to clinch a top-three spot in the Union Education Ministry’s national sustainability rankings.

High in the hills of Sirmaur, a quiet transformation has put the PM SHRI Pt. Durga Dutt Government Model Senior Secondary School, Narag, on the national map. In a massive competition that saw participation from over 10.47 lakh schools across India, Narag School has secured the third position in the senior category of the ‘Clean and Green School’ ratings for the 2025-26 academic session.

The competition, spearheaded by the Union Ministry of Education in collaboration with NCERT, was designed to audit and incentivize environmental stewardship at the grassroots level. Out of the vast sea of applicants, only 191 schools were shortlisted for national recognition. Himachal Pradesh has performed impressively in this cycle, with 11 schools from the state making the final cut, including the Government Middle School in Dhamoon, which also earned a spot among the elite list.

A Model for Sustainable Infrastructure

For the Narag school administration, this recognition is a validation of sustained efforts by the school’s sanitation committee, teaching staff, and students. Principal Rohit Verma lauded the collective work of the parent-teacher community, noting that maintaining such high standards requires constant vigilance and student involvement.

As part of the national honor, the school is set to receive a cash prize of ₹1 lakh along with a citation at an upcoming ceremony in New Delhi. This fiscal reward, while modest, serves as a significant morale booster for rural institutions that often struggle with limited resources compared to their urban counterparts.

Why it matters

The success of schools like Narag highlights a shift in how India’s rural education system is measured. It is no longer just about academic scores; there is an increasing emphasis on ‘green literacy’—teaching children the value of waste management, energy efficiency, and campus ecology. When a school in a small Himachal town outperforms national peers, it proves that institutional excellence is more a product of leadership and community involvement than geography or funding.

The integration of these ratings into the primary education framework suggests that the government is moving toward a long-term goal of making environmental consciousness a core curriculum component. If these 191 shortlisted schools can serve as regional "hubs of excellence," they could trigger a competitive, positive shift in how other public institutions manage their local environments.