National Pollution Prevention Day Commemoration
The Department of Economics, Loreto College, Kolkata organised Alumna Talk and Inter-Department Student Policy Think Tank Plenum: Green Nation Policy Challenge on December 2, 2025 to observe National Pollution Prevention Day. This year's theme was, "Nuclear Energy and Green Transition: A Way Forward", which highlighted the link between rising energy demands and the need for environmentally responsible policy choices.
The programme, anchored by Deetya Roy, a third-year student of the department, began with the welcome address delivered by Dr. Suranjana Mitra, senior faculty member of the Department of Economics, who welcomed the speaker and the audience. The initial segment of the said programme was featured by alumna lecture delivered by Ms. Mahima Kapoor, Digital Correspondent at DW News (Delhi Bureau). Drawing from her experience in reporting on climate, geopolitics, and public policy, she spoke on the role of nuclear energy in the global green transition and the policy considerations that accompany it. Her talk offered students a grounded understanding of how environmental, economic, and political factors intersect in contemporary energy debates.
The second segment of the programme featured the Green Nation Policy Challenge, a Students' Policy Think Tank event. Four teams participated, each comprising a Strategist, Diplomat, and Environment Activist. The plenum showcased a wide participation of students from across the departments, like Economics, Geography and Political Science. The following was the composition of the participating teams :
Team 1 (Economics): Meenakshi Chatterjee, Prapti Bhattacharya, Ashmita Mukherjee
Team 2 (Geography): Tanisha Purkayastha, Shreyashi Misra, Nishta Mukherjee
Team 3 (Political Science): Suhabi Sen, Anushree Saha, Ayushi Kumari
Team 4 (Economics): Aratrika Ghosh, Deepshikha Das, Shreejoyee Mukherjee
The event consisted of two parts: a Policy Pitch, in which teams presented solutions to pollution-related challenges, and a Negotiation Round, where paired teams worked towards a shared policy proposition. The session was moderated by Dr. Debasree Sinha, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, who guided the discussion and evaluated the process.
The programme concluded with a formal vote of thanks acknowledging the speaker, moderator, faculty members, support staff, and the participating students. The observance encouraged students to think critically about environmental issues while engaging with practical aspects of energy transition and public policy.
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