New Delhi: Readers of The Times of India were in for a green surprise as the 
newspaper was published on 100% green recycled paper on June 5th 2011 to commemorate World Environment Day. On 6th June 2011, readers of The Economic Times found their favorite pink paper championing the cause by turning green! The ‘Green Papers’ published a special editorials and features around environment, including guest editorials by award-winning environment champions from across India.
This green edition coincided with the launch of Garnier and The Times of India ‘Take Care Take Charge’ (TCTC) initiative pioneered last year to award green ideas. The objective of TCTC campaign is to instill a sense of responsibility amongst the youth of the country in order to maintain, nurture and contribute towards a greener environment. This 50 days campaign makes an appeal to the youth of this country to present their ideas on sustainable solutions for the environment under five categories: Water Conservation & Management; Energy Generation & Conservation; Creating Green Spaces; Transport Management & Pollution Abatement and Waste Management.
Talking about the initiative Dr. Bhaskar Das, President, The Times of India Group stated, “The association of the Times Group and brand Garnier is an ideal match since both abide by philosophies that are reflected in the core issues of the Take Care Take Charge campaign. This campaign is all about establishing a relationship with nature and reflects the vision of the two organizations, committed in making a difference to the environment and to mobilize today’s youth to come forward and do their bit for the planet. Last year Times of India was printed on 100% recycled green paper whereas this year both TOI as well as The Economic Times have gone green to commemorate the World Environment Day.”
Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh, aptly known as the ‘Waterman of India’ for his pioneering work in water conservation was invited to be the Guest Editor for the June 5th special edition which featured unsung heroes from remote villages of India fighting for the cause of environment.
Richa Singh, Marketing Manager Garnier says, “At Garnier, green science and green thinking are our belief, our savoir-faire. For you we create eco-friendly beauty products that work and are safe to use. All the major Garnier brands fit within the triangle of health, nature, and care. Garnier believes in values of integrity, responsibility, and respect for people and the environment. These values are the bedrock of our brand and the foundation of our sustainability.”
Ten ideas will be short listed and one winner will be selected in each city. The ideas presented to the panel will be judged on robustness, scalability, ease and cost of implementation by the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), which is the knowledge partner for this campaign. The short listed regional winners will present their ideas to a National panel consisting of prominent environmentalists, government officials and technocrats. The six short listed ideas will be published in the Times of India. The winning idea will be supported by the National Innovation Foundation* and be considered for implementation. The final winner will get an opportunity to present the idea at the prestigious United Nation’s Environment Program’s TUNZA Asia Pacific Youth Conference.
The campaign will culminate on July 24, 2011, India’s first TCTC Day where Individuals, Corporate and NGO’s will come together to Take Charge and undertake environment friendly activities. The ideas have already started to pour in from the first day of the campaign and one can send in their entries on www.takecaretakecharge.in.
TCTC is a joint initiative of Garnier and The Times of India. Centre for Environment Education (CEE) is the knowledge partner and National Innovation Foundation (NIF) is innovation partner. This is an initiative of the Times Red Cell.
* NIF supports ideas from unorganized sectors. If the winning idea comes from an engineering student or an individual working in a corporate, the same will be supported by SRISTI (Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions) a network partner of NIF.
