Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on Sunday, 7 June 2026, called on citizens to plant trees in honour of their mothers under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign, drawing inspiration from ex-paramilitary personnel in his constituency of Begusarai, Bihar, who have turned to environmental service after retirement.

Context

In his post on X, Giriraj Singh wrote: 'Begusarai ke poorv paramilitary ke sainikon ne apne seva kaal mein rashtra ki raksha ki hai, aur ab samaj seva aur paryavaran sanrakshan mein jute hain' — 'The former paramilitary soldiers of Begusarai protected the nation during their service, and are now engaged in social service and environmental conservation.' He urged followers to plant at least 10 saplings per year in keeping with PM Modi's appeal.

The minister framed the call as an extension of both patriotic duty and ecological responsibility, linking the discipline of ex-servicemen to the broader culture of environmental stewardship the campaign seeks to build.

Policy Backdrop

Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam was publicly launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024 as a mass citizen-participation initiative to expand India's green cover by encouraging every individual to plant a tree in their mother's name. The campaign aligns with India's nationally determined climate commitments, which include increasing forest and tree cover to absorb additional carbon.

BJP leaders across states have periodically amplified the campaign, particularly ahead of and during the monsoon planting season, when soil and rainfall conditions are most favourable for sapling survival. Giriraj Singh's post, issued in early June, falls at the cusp of the kharif season and the southwest monsoon's northward advance into Bihar.

Stakeholders and Impact

Ex-paramilitary personnel — drawn from forces such as the CRPF, BSF, CISF, and SSB — form a significant demographic in districts like Begusarai, which has historically supplied large numbers of recruits to central armed forces. Their post-retirement pivot to community and environmental work is highlighted here as a model for civic engagement.

For Bihar, a state with relatively low forest cover compared to the national average, grassroots plantation drives led by organised groups such as veterans' associations can contribute meaningfully to district-level green cover targets. The minister's specific ask — 10 plants per person per year — sets a concrete, measurable personal benchmark rather than a vague aspiration.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to whether veterans' groups in Begusarai and other Bihar districts formally mobilise plantation drives under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam banner during the upcoming monsoon months. State environment and forest department data on Bihar's annual plantation numbers under the scheme will be a key indicator of on-ground impact.

Broader participation figures for the campaign nationally may also surface in the next session of Parliament or in the Union Environment Ministry's periodic progress updates, providing a measure of how citizen-level pledges translate into verified tree cover gains.