7 Days, 7 Green Tasks: UGC Asks All Colleges to Begin BRICS Lifestyle Week Today

From today, November 1, every college and university in India has a seven-day green plan to follow. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked institutions to observe BRICS Sustainable Lifestyle Week 2026, November 1 to 7, with one simple theme each day.

The direction came in a UGC communication dated October 30, asking higher education institutions to run campus activities, awareness programmes and community drives through the week. It runs under Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), as part of India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026, and aims to get students, teachers and staff trying environment-friendly habits in daily life, starting on campus.

One theme for each day, from yoga to waste-to-art

A day-wise plan from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change gives each day one focus, so a college needs no big budget or big event to take part. Small, visible activities count.

• November 1, healthy lifestyles: yoga, walkathons, tree plantation and the LiFE pledge.
• November 2, save energy: switch off unneeded appliances for an hour, plus awareness sessions.
• November 3, save water: rainwater harvesting, leaking-tap repairs and awareness campaigns.
• November 4, sustainable food systems: millets, traditional food and ways to cut food waste.
• November 5, say no to single-use plastics: plogging drives and reusable bags and bottles.
• November 6, reduce e-waste: e-waste collection and awareness on recycling and repair.
• November 7, reduce waste: community clean-up drives and waste-to-art activities.

Nothing on that list needs new equipment. A walkathon, a tap repair drive and a clean-up are things a college club can organise in a day.

How your college is supposed to take part

Participation runs through the institution. Every participating institution must nominate a nodal officer, who registers it and uploads activity details on the MoEFCC’s Meri LiFE portal. After the week ends, the institution must submit a short report on its activities and best practices through the same portal by November 12, 2026.

• Nominate a nodal officer and register the institution on the Meri LiFE portal.
• Involve all departments, units and field centres, not just one club.
• Get students involved through green clubs, eco-clubs, National Service Scheme (NSS) and National Cadet Corps (NCC) networks.
• Put up week and Mission LiFE posters on campus and digital display boards.
• Share photos, videos and updates on the college website and social media with the hashtags MissionLiFE, Proplanetpeople and BRICSforLiFE.
• Join the ministry’s daily Webex orientation sessions, October 27 to November 7, at 11 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm.

Seven days, seven small habits. That is the whole plan, and every task is something a student can actually do on campus.

What this means for students, not just colleges

For students, the week is a chance to join something already running on campus, rather than a new form to fill. Registration sits with the college, so students take part through their NSS unit, NCC unit, green club or eco-club. A plantation drive on day one or a plogging drive on day five is your entry point.

This is the latest in a run of UGC directions in our education news section, including the UGC fee refund rule and the UGC NET December 2026 revised bulletin. As with those notices, the real effect on campus depends on how quickly each college acts.

One honest note matters here. A week of activities will not fix campus waste or water use on its own. Its value is simpler: it puts seven habits in front of thousands of students at the same time, with a shared set of hashtags and a report at the end. Colleges that let students lead the drives may see the habits stick after November 7.

If your college has not announced anything yet

Some colleges move fast on UGC letters, others take a few days. If your college notice board is still silent, try these steps.

• Ask your NSS officer, green club coordinator or college office whether a nodal officer has been named.
• Suggest one activity from the list that fits your campus, such as a one-hour switch-off drive.
• Check the UGC official website and the Mission LiFE portal for the advisory and activity material.
• Keep photos and a short note of anything you join, since your college needs that record for its November 12 report.

Frequently asked questions

What is BRICS Sustainable Lifestyle Week 2026?

A week of campus activities on sustainable living, November 1 to 7, 2026, under Mission LiFE as part of India’s BRICS Chairship.

Do students need to register on the Meri LiFE portal themselves?

No. The institution’s nodal officer registers it and uploads activity details. Students take part through their college, green club, NSS unit or NCC unit.

What are the seven daily themes?

Healthy lifestyles, save energy, save water, sustainable food, no single-use plastics, reduce e-waste and reduce waste, one per day from November 1 to 7.

When must colleges submit their activity report?

By November 12, 2026, through the Meri LiFE portal, with details of the activities held and best practices followed.

Sources: NDTV Education, Jagran Josh and Telegraph Edugraph reports on the UGC communication dated October 30, 2026. Dates, themes, portal steps and the November 12 report date match across all three.