The Chief Minister's Office of Madhya Pradesh announced on 5 June 2026 that Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav launched the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0' campaign — a state-level tree plantation drive — at the Kushabhau Thakre International Auditorium in Bhopal, marking World Environment Day 2026.

Context

World Environment Day, observed every year on 5 June, is a United Nations-designated global observance dating back to 1972, dedicated to raising awareness on environmental protection and sustainability. This year's state-level event brought together citizens, forest department officials and government representatives at one of Bhopal's premier public venues to mark the occasion with a concrete afforestation pledge.

The campaign's name — Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (meaning 'One Tree in the Name of Mother') — carries an emotional appeal, urging every participant to plant a tree as a tribute to their mother. The '2.0' suffix signals a sequel edition, building on momentum from the previous cycle of the drive.

Policy Backdrop

The original 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign was launched nationally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on World Environment Day 2024, positioning tree plantation as both a civic duty and a personal, emotional act. Madhya Pradesh's 2.0 edition follows the pattern of Indian states aligning their own environmental programmes with central government-led afforestation drives.

Such campaigns support India's commitments under the Bonn Challenge and the country's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, which include ambitious targets for land restoration and carbon sequestration through increased forest and tree cover. Successive editions of these drives typically combine public participation events with district-level plantation targets and mechanisms to track tree survival rates.

Madhya Pradesh, one of India's most forested states, has historically been a significant contributor to national afforestation goals. The state's Environment Department oversees forest conservation, pollution control and green cover expansion initiatives.

Stakeholders and Impact

The campaign directly engages citizens of Madhya Pradesh as primary participants, encouraging mass, community-level tree planting across the state's 55 districts. Forest department officials are expected to coordinate logistics, identify plantation sites and monitor the survival of saplings planted under the drive.

For Dr. Mohan Yadav, who has served as Chief Minister since December 2023, the launch reinforces the state government's positioning on environmental stewardship. The public, symbolic framing — planting a tree in a mother's honour — is designed to maximise voluntary participation beyond institutional targets.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to district-wise participation numbers, the volume of saplings distributed, and — critically — survival rate data in the months following the June 2026 launch, as survival rates have historically been a point of scrutiny in large-scale plantation campaigns across India. Whether the 2.0 model introduces new accountability mechanisms or expanded targets compared to the first edition will be a key indicator of the programme's ambition. Other states may also look to replicate or adapt the model as the broader national afforestation push continues.