The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, has urged States and Union Territories to facilitate student participation from local academic institutions under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0. This initiative aims to strengthen field-based learning, promote innovation, and enhance visibility of impactful work in rural water supply.
States/UTs have been specifically encouraged to engage local colleges, universities, and academic institutions to study and document selected case studies and best practices emerging under JJM 2.0. These best practices span areas including community participation, source sustainability, water quality management, operation and maintenance, technology adoption, and decentralized governance.
The directive requires organizing tours for Higher Secondary/Senior Secondary students to visit Multi Village Schemes (MVS), Water Treatment Plants (WTPs), Intake Wells, modern technologies such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Internet of Things (IoTs), and National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)-accredited Water Testing Laboratories.
The initiative sets a specific target: at least one student tour and one published case study/best practice with local academic institutions must be undertaken in each district by the end of September 2026. Findings from these studies are to be disseminated through academic journals, institutional reports, newsletters, research papers, websites, and other suitable platforms to facilitate evidence-based knowledge-sharing and replication.