Imagine a classroom where the Earth is not just a topic of study, but a constant companion.

Across India, a new kind of learning space is taking shape. On some campuses, solar panels tilt alongside flowering trees. Rainwater slips quietly into recharge pits. Classrooms open not into corridors, but into courtyards where the air feels lighter.

Indian universities are rethinking what it means to build, to learn, to live — not by adding sustainability as an extra, but by weaving it into everyday life. At a time when climate change feels overwhelming, these campuses offer something simple but powerful: proof that it’s possible to grow with the land, not against it.

Here’s a closer look at five institutions quietly leading the way.

1. IIT Gandhinagar, Gujarat

IIT Gandhinagar is India’s first campus to receive a 5-star rating under GRIHA LD (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment – Large Developments), a national framework assessing the environmental performance of large-scale projects.

Key initiatives:

• Zero sewage discharge: All wastewater is treated on-site using anaerobic........
  

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