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This paper presents a comprehensive review of existing literature concerning the domains of accreditation and quality assurance in various sectors. Accreditation and quality assurance play vital roles in ensuring the credibility, transparency, and effectiveness of educational institutions, healthcare facilities, industries, and other domains. This paper synthesizes the findings of numerous studies, focusing on the conceptual frameworks, methodologies, and outcomes associated with accreditation and quality assurance processes. The review encompasses a wide range of perspectives, including historical context, best practices, challenges, and advancements in accreditation and quality assurance. Through a systematic analysis of these scholarly works, this paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of the evolving landscape of accreditation and quality assurance across diverse sectors and shed light on potential future research directions.

Most of the world's refugees live in Global South countries, where they struggle to find quality education and opportunities for decent livelihoods. This paper explores the underexamined yet highly relevant interlinkage between sustainable livelihoods and adult learning among urban refugees residing in three major cities in India. It speaks to the tight intersection of education, livelihoods and aspirations of five refugee communities: Afghan, Rohingya, Somali, Chin and Tibetan. Building on interviews, focus groups and participatory drawing sessions involving 66 refugee and staff respondents, the study highlights the refugees' extremely limited learning opportunities, which result in low skills and being forced to take discriminatory and undignified work in the informal sector. By integrating the capabilities approach with sustainable livelihoods, the paper argues for more diverse educational opportunities and a broader understanding of refugee livelihoods that goes beyond pure economics to encompass consideration of freedom and human dignity.

The review article presents an analysis of the literature on environmental literacy in sustainable development. By utilizing techniques to examine multiple documents published between 2013 and 2023, including citation analysis, co-authorship analysis, subject area analysis, and keyword analysis, this study aims to provide valuable information and insights into the research landscape surrounding environmental literacy and its contribution to promoting sustainable development. A systematic search was conducted to gather several scientific articles, conference papers, and publications from the Scopus database from 2013 to 2023. The findings of this analysis shed light on authors, influential institutions, and active research groups that contributed to the study of environmental literacy and sustainable development. This comprehensive review offers an understanding of the state of research in this field while identifying areas for further exploration and research gaps. The insights gained from this study can be highly beneficial for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to advance knowledge and take action toward promoting literacy's role in sustainable development. This analysis is a foundation for advancing our understanding of literacy's significance while emphasizing its vital role in sustainable development efforts.

The objective of this paper is to explore the role of e-learning in attaining sustainability goals in education, i.e., Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). It examines the inclusion of e-learning solutions in the current education system leading to sustainable educational institutes and contributing to attaining ESD. Further, it highlights the challenges faced by educational institutes in implementing e-learning solutions. Through a thematic and critical review of past literature in the area of sustainability, e-learning, higher education, and potential challenges, 23 papers have been shortlisted for the current research. As the concept of sustainability in the Indian Education System is still nascent, the paper presents a holistic review of the literature to adhere to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-4 in Indian Higher Education System. The paper illustrates that implementing e-learning solutions in higher education through its curriculum, teaching-learning pedagogies, and innovative technologies can help higher education institutions (HEIs) to contribute toward ESD.

This paper examines the status of vocational education and training (VET) in India, amid the Indian government's focus on vocational education in schools to increase their employability. The authors discuss the challenges associated with the VET through socioeconomic implications especially for the marginalized population. The paper highlights the gaps between the aims of VET and Sustainable Development Goals 4 to access equitable and quality education and Sustainable Development Goal-8 for achieving a decent job amid the contrasting development through reduced public funding in education including VET. The paper observes an overlapping of general and vocational education and lower employment. The paper suggests sincere engagement of public and private stakeholders to provide VET to aspirants irrespective of any discrimination. Finally, the paper recommends higher public funding to create a stronger robust VET system and to offer more inclusivity and quality education and training for all.

Higher education is the refinement of teaching--learning and research acumen. It is the epitome of a learning system before entering the job market or venturing into new start-ups. Various studies indicate that the growth of an economy is positively associated with development in the higher education ecosystem. The state-run institutions have their inherent stereotypical challenges for propelling the essence of excellence. Barring a few, the mushrooming of private institutions has diluted its holistic objectives at par with the national standards. The quality outcome of higher education research brings momentum to all the development vectors across society, nation and the global community. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in developing countries have failed to secure top positions in various global rankings, causing concern for all stakeholders. This paper attempts to develop a comprehensive strategic model best suited to developing nations like India that can transform the higher education ecosystem par excellence to the apex institutions across the globe. The paper strongly suggests establishing a unitary institution that would pool the best talents from the existing HEIs through a stringent and unbiased scoring instrument that would augment the quality of life, resurgence of the economy, superior Human Development Index and sustainable development.

This paper analyses the development of UNESCO's Mahatma Gandhi Institute on Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), examining its record from global, national and institutional perspectives. The global perspective encompasses challenges to UNESCO's attempts to articulate a distinctive, humanistic vision in competition with other multilateral bodies. The national perspective relates to India, which hosts MGIEP, provides the bulk of its funding and exerts significant influence over its governance. Consideration is also given to the relationship between MGIEP's work and Mahatma Gandhi's ideas. Finally, the institutional perspective relates both to the author's own experience with MGIEP, and to information gained through interviews with others involved with the institute. It is argued that MGIEP's story illuminates challenges to attempts, within India and internationally, to sustain a humanistic vision of education in the face of powerful countervailing interests.

This paper offers insight from an informal cross-cultural mentoring experience of course development in higher education framed by the UNESCO Chair on Open Technologies for Open Educational Resources and Open Learning project. The Open Education for a Better World is a tuition-free international online mentoring program established to unlock the potential of open education in achieving the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing from mentor/protégé conversations and reflections and examining the experiences of mentoring in the development of an online course for Indian teacher education faculty development, the authors illuminate a pathway toward building professional relationships and professional learning beyond borders and boundaries. This paper describes how mentorship can develop digital competencies foundational for transferring tacit knowledge about planning, designing, recording, implementing, and evaluating teaching and learning in education. Explicit knowledge-building for professional learning within a supportive mentoring relationship is explored.

The first set of international recommendations to guide environmental education (EE) was developed in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1977. Ten years later, in 1987, a conference in Moscow, Russia, reviewed progress and focused on institutional strategies and action plans to strengthen environmental education. A third international environmental education conference was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1997, which debated the role of environmental education in contributing to sustainable development. Following the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) (2005-2014) was launched based on earlier recommendations in Chapter 36 of "Agenda 21." The 4th International Conference on Environmental Education (ICEE), held in Ahmedabad, India, in 2007 within the framework of DESD, marks 30 years after Tbilisi. The recommendations documented at this most recent conference reflect common themes raised in the conference, and is complemented by a conference declaration, and recommendations from more than 30 topics discussed by working groups at the conference. In drafting these recommendations, this document was recognized as one in a range of documents that provide orientation to environmental education in the 21st century, most importantly the DESD's "International Implementation Scheme" and associated regional, subregional, national and local strategies and action plans being developed to guide in the implementation of the UN Decade.

Domestic violence (DV) is a serious public health concern, affecting women's health and well-being. An international governance framework, through the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and national policies in India have committed the country to attempt elimination of violence against women. Even so, efforts remain starkly inadequate for altering conditions under which women experience DV. This review paper aims to develop an evidence-based, integrated life cycle model to alter conditions that perpetuate DV and related vulnerabilities in society. The analyses identify and determine community-based innovative practices and policies. We propose a collaborative 'R5 model' to incorporate a multi-stage response to break the cycle of gendered vulnerability. The model identifies five stages of vulnerability in the lives of victims of violence: rescue, recovery, rehabilitation, resilience, and reform. This approach can result in promoting a proactive state-society engagement to uphold the rights and the welfare of women. We recommend the 'R5 model' to bridge the global SDG targets, national policies, and local practices.

In 2015, the United Nations member states adopted the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Education, which is the fourth Sustainable Development Goal, has seen some major transformations with the advent of digital technologies. Education is increasingly being imparted through these digital technologies. However, this change resulting from the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is often reported without in-depth analysis especially in emerging knowledge economies. This paper overcomes that barrier by exploring the motivating factors and de-motivating factors; as well as potential facilitators of online education. The paper also attempts to understand the enrolment, preference and awareness related to online education of the respondents with respect to country, gender, age, employment status and educational qualification, while presenting a comparative analysis of two emerging knowledge economies: India and Uganda. In the first phase, in order to explore motivating, de-motivating factors, and potential facilitators of online education, in-depth interviews were conducted with 51 learners. Data thus collected was checked for content validity through an extensive literature review. In the second phase, a questionnaire was administered to 252 respondents from both countries, drawn from a population of participants pursuing or having an intention to pursue online education. It explored any potential differences in enrolment, awareness, and preference for online-education on the basis of country, gender, age, employment status and existing educational qualification, in order to get better insights for further facilitation and improvement of online-education in emerging economies. To establish statistical validity, Mann-Whitney U-Tests and Kruskal-Wallis Tests were conducted. Based on this primary and secondary data, the paper concludes with some suggestions and recommendations on how to overcome barriers and factors which de-motivate learners from pursuing online education in order to achieve the desired Sustainable Development Goals.

YouTube now has more searches than Google, indicating that video is a motivating and, potentially, powerful learning tool. This paper investigates how we can embrace video to support improvements in teacher education. It will draw on innovative approaches to teacher education, developed by the Open University UK, in order to explore in more depth the potential of video. It will use case studies from three continents, and draw on research from different sources, in order to highlight the successes and the challenges. Looking across the examples presented, the paper will describe models of teacher learning and video use, and demonstrate that video can add value to teacher development activities provided that appropriate support and mediation, consistent with the pedagogy that is being promoted, is in place. Sustainable Development Goal 4 emphasizes the importance of improving the quality of the experiences that children have in school. This requires new models for teacher education, and has become an urgent issue. Video could be a significant part of the solution.

Digital pedagogy is essential now as the entire world moves towards digitalization in all fields. Technology has influenced a lot on learning and resulted in the development of digital pedagogy, which has become a vital part of today's world. This paper focuses on the influence and benefits of digital pedagogy for sustainable learning. The multifaceted nature that supports the developing idea of sustainable learning is viable for collaborating and networking interdisciplinary. Introduction of common goals, shared values and means for sustainability become challenging to achieve until a rapid or fast advancement on data innovation and information technology, digital learning, and worldwide access to data, information communication technologies (ICT) and development of self-organized socio-technical networks. Another dimension for innovation is 'Susthingsout', which refers to a creative pedagogy with an enhanced teaching platform, improved e-magazine and virtual e-learning platforms. The word 'Susthingsout' means to uphold, encourage, and instill sustainable learning through the extensive and broad curriculum to the undergraduate course and various campus-based activities. In this regard, 'Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)' bridges the gap between the traditional and contemporary era that receives global acceptance and global reach. The present study outlines how contemporary platforms developed with unified efforts by combining experts, professionals, academicians, practitioners, learners and curriculum as a result of blended application on theory and practical knowledge and augments students' employability. The study aims to examine the viability of academic practice, skills beyond disciplines, the classroom and the institution. The conceptual model has been initiated on Digital Collaboration and Sustainable Learning. Therefore, collaborative learning, blended learning, flipped learning, open conversation, creativity and innovation are at the heart of education and it is a system for sustainable learning and development.

In a world with 7 billion people and limited natural resources, humans have to use them (social, economic & environmental) without destroying them for future generations. The leading aim of the paper was to explore the phenomena of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and the role of the social studies curriculum. The paradigm of the research was interpretivism, and phenomenological design was used. The semi-structured interviews protocol was used to collect data. Five participants (Experts of social studies curriculum PCTB) were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Data were analyzed using NVivo12, and thematic analysis was conducted using open, axial, and selective coding. Five themes ("people," "planet," "prosperity," "peace," and "partnership") were selected during the qualitative data analysis process. It was evaluated that the social studies curriculum designed by Punjab Textbook Board incorporated the values of sustainable development among six, seven, and eighth grade students. However, some indicators that are missed need a minor addition. [Note: The page range (201-218) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range for this article is p201-219.]

Purpose: This paper aims to systematically review the university social responsibility (USR) implementation from the empirical studies, which published during the period from 2004 to 2020. Design/methodology/approach: The bibliometric method has been employed to review prior empirical research on higher education social responsibility topics. Findings: These synthesis results confirmed that USR initiatives as an excellent tool to attain sustainability and enhance university performance worldwide. Universities in developed nations underline paying more attention to the core values in the long-term; meanwhile, their counterparts in transitional countries to pay more attention to short-term activities by focusing on stakeholders. Research limitations/implications: The notable limitation is that in terms of the number of empirical papers employed as the data to analyze in this manuscript. Practical implications: This paper's findings have described the USR implementations and how well to define USR adoption from the empirical studies globally. Thus, it has theoretical implications in enriching the USR knowledge and providing useful guidance for universities, then recommend new research directions in the future for other scholars. Originality/value: This research is an initial attempt to systematize studies on USR implementation in universities between developed countries and developing nations.

This article maps the scientific production and the contents associated with the sustainable development goals and their integration with universities during the past 21 years. Although many of the topics related to sustainable development goals (SDGs) have been addressed in different studies for decades, it is since 2015 onwards that they gained greater prominence due to the inclusion of higher education as an important actor in the fulfillment of the 2030 agenda and the United Nations SDGs. For the purpose of this paper, a bibliometric analysis of 871 papers, 535 documents in Scopus, and 336 in Web of Science (WoS) from 1998 to 2019 was performed, and the Bibliometrix analysis tool was used. The objective of this mapping is to answer the following research question: Is the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals and Universities a field of study? An analysis of the network of collaborators and trend topics in Scopus and WoS allows us to identify the concurrence and relationships of some keywords, such as sustainable development, sustainability and planning, and some background words, such as humans and global health. In another analysis, the word "higher education" is related to change. This article suggests that the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals in Universities is becoming a field of study under exploration, with a peak of production in 2016 and that has remained stable in the last three years, but thanks to the leading role assigned to Universities, intellectual production should increase in the following years.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are at the forefront of government initiatives across the world. The SDGs are primarily concerned with promoting sustainable growth via ensuring wellbeing, economic growth, environmental legislation, and academic advancement. One of the most prominent goals of the SDG is to provide learners with high-quality education (SDG 4). This paper aims to look at the perspectives of the Sustainable Development Goals improvised to provide quality education. We also analyze the existing state of multiple initiatives implemented by the Indian government in the pathway to achieving objectives of quality education (SDG 4). Additionally, a case study is considered for understanding the association among the observed indicators of SDG4. For this purpose, exploratory data analysis, and numerical association rule mining in combination with QuantMiner genetic algorithm approaches have been applied. The outcomes reveal the presence of a significant degree of association among these parameters pointing out the fact that understanding the impact of one (or more) indicator on other related indicators is critical for achieving SDG 4 goals (or factors). These findings will assist governing bodies in taking preventive measures while modifying existing policies and ensuring the effective enactment of SDG 4 goals, which also will subsequently aid in the resolution of issues related to other SDGs.

Sustainable Development Goal Target 4.2.1 is monitored by determining the proportion of children aged 24 to 59 months who are developmentally on track in the domains of health, learning, and psychosocial well-being. UNICEF has developed a caregiver report measure, the Early Childhood Development Index 2030 (ECDI2030), to measure progress towards this target. This paper examines whether a newly developed tool, the Early Childhood Development Assessment Scale--Direct Assessment (ECDAS-DA) can add value to the measurement of Target Indicator 4.2.1 by complementing UNICEF's ECDI2030, and explores the psychometric properties of the ECDAS-DA. A total of 956 children (476 girls) aged 3 to 5 years from Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar were administered the ECDAS-DA in individual sessions. Caregivers provided responses to a survey based on UNICEF's ECDI2030. Confirmatory Factor Analyses indicated that learning, health, and psychosocial well-being domains of the ECDAS-DA were three component parts of one underlying construct of early child development. Significant correlations between the ECDAS-DA and the caregiver-reported ECDI2030 survey were found in the learning and health domains but findings were mixed for the psychosocial well-being domain. Multiple measures of early development could be important in measuring SDG Target 4.2.1 and the ECDAS-DA has the potential to complement UNICEF's ECDI2030.

This paper explores the potential contribution of education to sustainable development. Drawing on recent evidence it argues that education could play a stronger role--a position reinforced by the new sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, securing this contribution will have to be achieved in an era where educational delivery will be increasingly impacted by climate/environment change. The paper explores the relationship between education and sustainable development through an Indian case study. It covers why education is important; impediments that reduce educational impact, and an innovative programme of environmental education that offers insight on ways forward.

The 12th Plan highlighted Equity, Access & Excellence as the tripod of India's education policy. The RTE Act 2009 has ensured a high level of Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER). However, the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) present a dismal picture of the outcome dimensions of our schooling system. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) therefore, highlights the importance of quality as an important conjoint of universal access, as skill based education will ensure proper employment opportunity. Education is a major enabler for empowerment for all; and in particular for extremely vulnerable sections of the society like STs. The tribal students are handicapped multi-dimensionally, with education as a critical fault line. This paper analyses the policy initiatives to educate and empower them and brings out the bleak picture that bedevil this neglected segment. It contrasts the experience of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) in terms of promoting gender parity, vocational training, health alleviation, dignity of the girl child and educational outcomes as compared to their counterparts in government and SC/ST schools. The paper also highlights the unique funding model of KISS and its potential for replication. Inclusive growth and quality can work how in hand. The paper strongly argues for government's handholding through "Skill India" initiative and funding unique initiatives as KISS.

Free and compulsory primary education remains a priority area in the international policy perspective, starting from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 to the formulation of Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Under the impact of globalization, an impressive expansion in the access to primary education has been observed in recent decades and the global trends in enrolment rates across the developing world have attested this fact. However, many developing countries, such as India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA), are still struggling with the goal of quality primary education for all. The IBSA countries are emerging economies and very proactive in addressing past inequalities prevalent in their countries. With the cooperation of international organizations, national policy planning and other initiatives, these countries have performed quite well in the educational attainment. But even today, these countries have not achieved the goal of quality primary education for all. This paper reviews the attainment of free and compulsory primary education in these countries, along with the challenges faced in the achievement of universal primary education. These challenges may hinder the progress of these countries towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal.

In this paper, we reflect on our experiences teaching and working with mathematics teachers in Canada, Ghana, India and Swaziland to explore challenges and opportunities for creating mathematics tasks for peace and sustainability. Our exploration of these experiences is oriented around our interest in embedding peace and sustainability into mathematics education following the Sustainable Development Goals identified by the United Nations. We claim that attention to local contexts affords mathematics educators a medium for engaging in authentic, meaningful and context-driven mathematics tasks that address issues of local environmental, cultural and societal concerns. However, we argue that globalisation has already colonised local communities. The associated "technoscientificity", along with the conservative nature of textbooks, time constraints and the dominant force of poverty remain hindrances in creating mathematics tasks that are issue centric and socially relevant to address concerns of the local community. We end this paper by suggesting a development of a mathematics task to illustrate the possibility of creating what we call a "situated mathematics task" for students that respond to issues of local community using rural Ghana as a context.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the barriers to including sustainability in management education institutions (MEIs) in India, and subsequently, to analyze the structure of the causal relationships among the barriers. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory methodology are applied to analyze the structure of the causal relationships among the identified sustainability barriers. Findings: Through an extensive literature review and expert interviews, this paper identified 4 primary barriers and 46 sub-barriers. Encompassing sustainability in Indian MEIs results in changes in behavior involving increased respect for the environment, hence, leading to improved sustainable efficiency. Research limitations/implications: The present study is limited to MEIs in India. Practical implications: The inclusion of sustainability in MEIs equips future managers with the economic, ecological and technical knowledge required to demonstrate sustainable behavior in the workplace. It assists also equips managers with the ability to affect social change at an organizational level. MEIs has been acknowledged as playing a crucial role in societal transformations, including the need for transformation toward sustainability. Originality/value: The present study adds to the current knowledge base regarding the structure of the causal relationships among the identified sustainability barriers. To the author's knowledge, this is the first paper to identify such barriers to including sustainability in an Indian MEI context.

The concept of low carbon education is one solution to provide knowledge to students related to low carbon behavior. The purpose of this paper is providing an extensive bibliometric literature review on 'low carbon education'. Articles found by Publishing or Perish (PoP) software with the Google Scholar database. There were 55 out of 97 articles found from Google Scholar data base ranging from 2014 to 2019 analyzed in this study. The chosen references were then managed using a referencing manager software namely Zotero. After managing the database, this study classified and visualized it using VOSviewer software. Overall, this review provides an appropriate reference point for further research on 'low carbon education'.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. To maintain the pace of development, local government institutions (LGIs) in many countries have started adapting innovative good practices. These practices are being generated as an offshoot of some projects, initiated by local governments, sub-national and/or national governments. However, these innovations are generally so closely associated, and depend so much on those projects, that once the projects officially phase out, the good practices also start falling apart. Those training institutions for LGIs in Asian countries are imparting training and applying participatory methodologies like peer learning. This enhances the capacities of the functionaries of the respective LGIs. However, the learning that emerges from the good practices, that have evolved, is often missed out in these course curricula, despite the fact that both the good practices and capacity for generating good practices, exist at the local level in the form of tacit learning. The Horizontal Learning Process (HLP) helps to overcome the inherent limitations of existing training methodology by capturing, upscaling, and nurturing tacit learning based on good practices. This paper highlights the concept and salient features of HLP, its evolution, process and steps, application areas, achievements and challenges--especially in the context of the SDGs and the role of LGIs.

The Centre for Environment Education (CEE) in Ahmedabad, India, got a running start on the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) (2005-2015) by hosting the first international conference of the decade January 18-20, 2005. The attendance of 900 educators from 50 countries exceeded expectations. Not only did these participants share their experiences and develop action plans in 20 topical workshops, they also offered detailed comments on the UNESCO implementation plan for the Decade and presented their own hopes for the Decade in the Ahmedabad Declaration. In this article, the author discusses how the Ahmedabad Declaration was created, and summarizes the contents of the declaration.

The paper deals with the issues of the cultural and linguistic diversity of Indian schools. The influence international policies and national policies, provision to preserve the linguistic and cultural diversity in classroom and schools. The role of education to preserve the linguistic and cultural diversity needs in schools. Based on various data from India and other UN agencies on issues of preserving and sustaining the cultural and linguistic diversity. The data provides, more than 50% of the world's languages are located in just eight countries: India, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, and Cameroon. These countries are in threats losing its native language or in other words falling in the categories endanger language The author has provided educational suggestions and recommendation for reserving linguistic and cultural diversity in schools.

Sustainability professionals need cosmopolitan competencies to be successful when working on environmental, social, and governance issues that span cultural and national boundaries. Working professionals often struggle building these competencies because they have limited time for international travel and limited access to international peers. Short-term (10 day) and highly curated educational travel programs, combined with pre- and post-trip study, provide powerful learning experiences that can overcome these obstacles. This paper does three things: 1) defines and justifies cosmopolitan competencies that are useful to sustainability professionals, 2) describes a pedagogy to teach these competencies to working professionals, and 3) evaluates whether intended learning outcomes were achieved. A quantitative survey instrument was completed before and after international education programs to China and India. The pre-post differences were statistically significant, suggesting the pedagogy has impact. Qualitative interviews supplement and help interpret the quantitative data.

This declaration was developed at the 4th International Conference on Environmental Education (ICEE) in November 2007. The conference was sponsored by UNESCO, UNEP and the Government of India and hosted by the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) at Ahmedabad, India. The drafting process involved nearly 1,600 participants from 97 countries. Since the first international conference was held in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1977, conferences have been held every ten years--in Moscow in 1987 and in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1997. This declaration was drafted in the context of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD).

In the present scenario, due to anthropogenic activities, environmental degradation is being done at an alarming and rapid rate and it is resulting in various environmental issues such as global warming, ozone layer depletion, green house effects, rise in sea level, improper monsoon and acid rains. Science and technology on one hand has brought immense benefits but on the other hand we are paying a heavy price for it. There is a wrong notion that economic development is based only on industrialization. However, science and technology can help in the process of global sustainable environment, but only in a limited way. In India, environmental education has been introduced at various school levels. But the teaching of the subject is not satisfactory due to lack of proper training of teachers in the field of environmental education. Bearing this fact in mind, an attempt has been made through this paper to highlight the necessity of making effective training programmes of prospective teachers in environmental education and sustainable development. The present generation is mindlessly pursuing its needs without thinking for the future generations to come. Therefore, in order to achieve the acceptable level of global environmental sustainability, the citizens must be empowered with essential knowledge and information especially in developing countries like India. Since educational institutions are the places where the contact of the society is more, it is possible to bring remarkable changes in the mindset of the public. The author feels that it is the need of the hour to propose environmental education with the essential elements of moral philosophy. Conventional educational methods are no longer adequate for the real needs of tomorrow. The present paper examines the significance and awareness of sustainable development and environmental education among the prospective teachers.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. To maintain the pace of development, local government institutions (LGIs) in many countries have started adapting innovative good practices. These practices are being generated as an offshoot of some projects, initiated by local governments, sub-national and/or national governments. However, these innovations are generally so closely associated, and depend so much on those projects, that once the projects officially phase out, the good practices also start falling apart. Those training institutions for LGIs in Asian countries are imparting training and applying participatory methodologies like peer learning. This enhances the capacities of the functionaries of the respective LGIs. However, the learning that emerges from the good practices, that have evolved, is often missed out in these course curricula, despite the fact that both the good practices and capacity for generating good practices, exist at the local level in the form of tacit learning. The Horizontal Learning Process (HLP) helps to overcome the inherent limitations of existing training methodology by capturing, upscaling, and nurturing tacit learning based on good practices. This paper highlights the concept and salient features of HLP, its evolution, process and steps, application areas, achievements and challenges--especially in the context of the SDGs and the role of LGIs.

Purpose: It is still unclear how Asian universities incorporate the theory or practice of sustainable development (SD) in their research and education programmes. To address this gap, the purpose of this paper is to report on a study that has examined how universities in Asian countries handle and address matters related to SD. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a bibliometric analysis and an online survey-method. The online survey data were analysed through descriptive analysis and one-sample student's "t"-test. Findings: The study indicates that there is considerable variation among the Asian countries regarding sustainability practices in higher education institutions (HEIs). The HEIs in far eastern countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are perceived to demonstrate more sustainability practices. Research limitations/implications: Even though a substantial number of participants participated in the survey, it did not cover all Asian countries. The online survey was carried out over a limited period of time, and not all HEIs in the field may have received information about the study. Practical implications: Asia is the largest continent facing a number of sustainability challenges. In this context, the contribution of HEIs is very important. The findings of the current study may serve as a baseline for Asian HEIs to take more initiatives towards SD goals, as HEIs are responsible for the education and training of hundreds of thousands of students who will be occupying key positions in industry, government or education in the coming years. Originality/value: The study contributes to the existing literature in two distinct ways. First, it was possible to develop a comprehensive instrument to measure sustainability practices in HEIs. Second, this study has filled the gap of the scarcity of studies regarding sustainability practices in HEIs in Asia.

The article discusses the relationship between value addition and environmental sustainability using ten years data of an Indian Paper Mill. Analysis of the data reveals that there is a negative correlation between value addition and environmental sustainability over the ten-year period.

With rapid industrialization and technological development, India is facing adverse affects of unsustainable pattern of production and consumption. Education for sustainable development has been widely recognized to reduce the threat of environmental degradation and resource depletion. This paper used the content analysis method to explore the extent to which green curriculum has been incorporated in engineering education. The "green curriculum index" suggests that Indian technological education is following vertical integration, with low emphasis on horizontal integration of green curriculum resulting into non-sustained green culture and environmental behaviour among the students. Furthermore, higher educational institutions should understand and accept the relevance of sustainable development rather than responding to the legitimate formality for creating a low-carbon and green economy.

There is growing global consensus that inequality is making sustainable development goals unattainable. Social inclusion of the historically marginalized and equality of opportunity is crucial for sustainable development. Inclusive quality education for all is therefore considered as one of the three main targets for sustainable development according to UNESCO's Incheon declaration in 2015. This paper draws on an institutional ethnography of a globally interconnected old colonial school's inclusive pedagogic work in postcolonial India. The school's work has been much celebrated in existing research by academics, global donor agencies and also by the Indian government's Sarva Shikshya Abhiyan (Education for All) office. This paper analyses how the school conceptualized a distinct inclusive pedagogy to educate the hearts and the minds of children driven by local community needs for social inclusion within a context of extreme inequality. This paper argues that the school's conception of inclusive education addressing the diverse learning needs of children developed as a syncretic cultural formation drawing on its institutional mission for social justice, as well as indigenous history of educational reform and philosophy of community engagement. In doing so, this paper engages with the "philosophy of context" and draws on the "southern theory" of inclusive education as envisioned by Rabindranath Tagore, indigenous education reformer and Nobel Laureate poet activist during early twentieth-century colonial British India, who challenged both local and global inequality through his creative and educational work.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of university in shaping pro-environmental behaviour in students. Design/methodology/approach: The paper used goal-framing theory to investigate the relationship between goals and pro-environmental behaviour by comparing the responses of entry- and exit-level students. Structural equation modeling, one-way analysis of variance and other standard statistical analysis have been used to analyse the data collected through questionnaire survey in a central university offering technical education in India. Findings: Pro-environmental intention in students increases with a strong normative goal. The direct and indirect effects indicate hedonic goal and gain goal via normative goal leads to better pro-environmental behaviour. Higher values for normative goal in exit-level students substantiates the role of university. Practical implications: The paper provides scope to improvise and incorporate environmental practices into the habits of the students by aligning their goals and university dimensions including curriculum, campus operations, research and outreach activities. Originality/value: The results make an important contribution in establishing a sustained green culture by offering a new university paradigm.

Purpose: The past decade has seen a proliferation of research on service quality in education. However, little attempt has been made to understand the impact of student perceived service quality on sustainability practices of the university or the effect of such practices on student satisfaction. To bridge this gap, this paper aims to propose a conceptual framework to examine the relationships between service quality, sustainable practices and student satisfaction from the perspective of students. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative methodology was employed, and data were collected through an online structured questionnaire. Responses were gathered from undergraduate students (n = 419) studying in four colleges affiliated to a university in Delhi, India. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to validate the instruments. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the associations between the constructs. Findings: The research revealed that student perceived service quality in education has a significant effect on their perception of sustainable practices of the university and student satisfaction. Further, sustainable practices predict student satisfaction. Research limitations/implications: The findings may guide the key decision-makers in the education industry to incorporate service quality and sustainable practices in their strategy and thereby enhance student satisfaction. Originality/value: This research is the first of its kind to examine the impact of service quality as perceived by students on the perception of sustainability practices of the university. Further, it empirically tests the effect of perceived sustainability practices on student satisfaction.

Purpose: Higher education is uncertain which sustainability-related education targets should be sought and monitored. Accepting that something needs to be measurable to be systematically improved, the authors explored how measures relate to potential targets. This paper aims to focus on dispositions to think critically (active open-minded thinking and fair-minded thinking in appraising reasoning) as measures and explored how they related to sustainability concern as an indicative educational target. Design/methodology/approach: This research included the development and testing of research instruments (scales) that explored dispositions to critical thinking and sustainability concern. Authors researched these instruments within their own correspondence groups and tested them with university students and staff in Pakistan, the USA, Austria, India and New Zealand. The authors also asked a range of contextualising questions. Findings: Respondents' disposition to aspects of active, open-minded thinking and fair-minded thinking do predict their concern about facets of sustainability but their strength of religious belief was an important factor in these relationships and in their measurement. Practical implications: This research demonstrates the complexity of monitoring dispositions to think critically and sustainability concern in educational systems, particularly in circumstances where the roles of religious beliefs are of interest; and suggests ways to address this complexity. Originality/value: This research integrates and expands discourses on ESD and on critical thinking in diverse disciplines and cultures. It investigates measurement approaches and targets that could help higher education institutions to educate for sustainable development and to monitor their progress, in ways that are compatible with their culture and values.

The research studied the value orientations of higher education faculty members augmenting their willingness to participate in sustainable activities. An online survey has been done to collect the data from the top 100 institutions participated in National Institutional Ranking Framework, 2017 (India). The findings reveal that educators prioritise self-transcendence values when mediated by activated personal norms, their endorsement for altruistic values increases. Egoistic value is also identified as a significant factor affecting their behavioural choice to participate in sustainable activities. The paper concludes that faculty engagement in community services may result in social reforms towards sustainable development. Intrinsic motivation of the faculty members should be acknowledged.

Sustainable development is essential for the survival of the planet. The massive increase in GHG emissions due to human activities has put the world in unrest. The Indian construction industry is emerging and evolving at a rapid rate and has understood the grave situation, and for saving the environment has come up with innovative solutions for developing green buildings or sustainable construction. In this paper, the two different (the GRIHA Rating System and the IGBC Green New Building Rating System) of India were studied. The sample size was 40 construction professionals working on green building projects. An interview schedule was used for data collection. The data was subjected to a suitable analysis and the AHP method was applied. Based on the research findings, strategies to go green has been suggested for the IGBC and GRIHA rating system which may serve as a ready reckoner for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the construction management process. Therefore, keeping in mind the above view this research paper "Review of Indian Green Building Rating Systems by Using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) on Various Parameters" becomes indispensable. Hence, this research study can be considered an effort to empower construction professionals to create an extensive analysis of green building concepts and develop sustainably in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]