Why in news?

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupendra Yadav inspected the “Swachhata” Special Campaign 2.0 at the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History under the MoEF&CC. Cleanliness and good governance are the key pillars of this campaign.

Highlights

• As part of the campaign, SACON initiated segregation of all the scrap (files, metal items, e-waste, old records, plastic items, chemical bottles etc.) and is disposing it in a safe and sustainable manner.
• Cleanliness drive was carried out in the entire campus with focus on laboratories, workspaces, library.

What is SACON ?

• The Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) is a national centre for information, education and research in ornithology and natural history in India.
• It was inspired by and named in honour of Salim Ali, the leading pioneer of ornithology in India.
• It is an autonomous organisation established in 1990 as a public- NGO partnership between the MoEF&CC, and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) under the Centre of Excellence Scheme and registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act.
• Its headquarters are at Anaikatti, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
• SACON is associated with the Ministry of Environment and Forests
• Its mission is “To help conserve India’s biodiversity and its sustainable use through research, education and peoples’ participation, with birds at the centre stage”.

Organization :

• Its policy is determined by a 16-member Governing Council.
• Its chairman is the secretary/additional secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests.
• Its president is the Minister for Environment and Forests.