https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Plant Trees On Birthdays, Says IPS Officer Who’s Planted More Than 50,000 Trees In 25 Years

IPS officer Mahesh Chand Jain plants saplings wherever he is posted Till now, he has planted more than 50,000 trees in 25 years He has entered World Book of Records UK for his contribution in promoting environment cause and plantation
Indian Masterminds Stories

IPS officer Mahesh Chand Jain is a man on a mission. He plants saplings wherever he goes with an unmatched zeal. Till now, he has planted more than 50,000 trees in 25 years. Not content with that, he now exhorts people to celebrate birthdays with the planting of trees.

In an exclusive interview to Indian Masterminds, Mr. Mahesh Chand Jain, who is DCP (Traffic) in Indore, speaks about his special mission in a candid manner.

OBJECTIVE

Mr. Jain says that his main objective is to persuade people to start planting trees at their homes or in their neighbourhoods on birthdays – their own birthdays and their near ones’, too.

“Through this, we can keep our environment clean and green and can reduce the effect of climate change which causes great harm to human activities.”

STARTED IN 1996

Back in 1996, when he was posted in Lateri as Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), he not only started planting trees himself but also motivated and encouraged the public, other police officers and, also, officers in other departments.

“During those days, we had an old Mahindra jeep. So, my wife and I used to travel with shovels, pans and saplings to plant saplings in the village. We planted in temples, chaupals, schools, and police stations.”

IPS Mahesh Chand Jain

After planting saplings in the local police stations, he gave the responsibilities of care and nurturing to the station in-charge, to look after the saplings and help them grow.

THE SLOGAN

He says that the slogan, Janamdin ko yaddgar banae, vraksh lagae, smriti ko amaar banae, vraksh lagae (plant a tree to make your birthday memorable, plant a tree to make your memories forever), was created by him in the year 1999, when he was posted in Neemuch district. Neemuch district was a new district then and Mr. Jain was posted as the Circle SP (CSP).

“There was a convent school in front of my home in Revenue Colony, which was one of the biggest schools of Neemuch district at that time. At noon, when the school gets over, kids used to wait outside the gate in the scorching sun for their parents, guardians or vehicles.”

The sapling became a healthy tree which IPS Jain planted on his elder Sons birthday in 1999

That’s when he thought of planting trees outside the school so that the waiting kids can stand under the shadow of the tree. “We planted five Neem trees and two Night Jasmine (Parijaat) trees outside the school gate during my elder son Nihit’s birthday on January 6, 1999,” he recalls.  

Ever since then, he has not stopped. Wherever he’s got posted, he planted saplings there and, also, made sure that the saplings were taken care of, and they became healthy trees.

HATHIPAWA HILLOCK

In December 2016, when Mr. Jain was posted as SP in Jhabua, he made history with his plantation drive.

Hathipawa Hillock

There was a long and dry barren Hathipawa hillock in Jhabua, which didn’t have any plants or trees or water. Mr. Jain and his team planted trees in large numbers within a time period of one and half years. And that barren hillock has become a heaven now!

Hathipawa Hillock

“We planted more than 15,000 trees all over the hillock. Those saplings not only survived, but they have become trees of 15ft, 20ft and 25ft. Number of birds, peacocks and different types of butterflies have made the Hathipawa hillock their home now and it has become a popular tourist spot of Jhabua district.”

Hathipawa Hillock

THREE POINTERS

Mr. Jain informs that during plantation, they generally keep three things in mind.

1. If it’s an open land, they plant Neem and Peepal trees, as they have a long life and provide oxygen to humans.

2. Whenever they plant trees in the forest, they plant according to the needs of the birds living there. They plant trees like Molsari tree (Mimusops Elengi), Singapore Cherry because these trees provide food to the birds.

3. If they are planting near a house or a residential block, then they plant trees like Jackfruit (Kathal), Sunflower Pods (Surjane ki Phali), Guava, Metha Neem, Lemon, Chikoo, Amla, etc.

WORLD RECORD

In 2019, Mr. Jain’s name entered the World Book of Records UK for his matchless contribution in promoting environment cause and plantation.  

IPS Jain conferred with World Book of Records UK

Today, he rues that for some time now, they have not been able to plant trees in open areas because of the pandemic. But they still planted trees at their homes on birth anniversaries of renowned personalities.

“We are waiting for the pandemic to end soon so that we can start planting again, and keep the environment clean and green,” he says in conclusion.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
Mohan Yadav
MP CM Mohan Yadav Pushes for Sustainable, Community-Driven Rural Water Policy; Targets 100% Tap Coverage by March 2027
Ajay Bhadoo IAS
IAS Ajay Bhadoo Gets Extended Term as DGFT - What It Means & His Career Journey
THDCIL_Receives_ABMS_Certification_for_Integrity_and_Transparency
THDC India (THDCIL) Awarded ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Certification by BIS - Details Inside
Ministry of Environment
Environment Ministry Clarifies Petrol Vehicle Tender, Cites E-Vehicle Flexibility
Bokaro Steel Plant
PESB Selects Priya Ranjan to Head Bokaro Steel Plant, SAIL’s Key Production Unit
REC Limited wins ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC (DNA) Awards
REC Limited Bags ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC Awards
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
IFS S Krithiga
Eco-Friendly Cottages, Tribal Cuisine, and Conservation: Inside Tamil Nadu’s Pachamalai Project
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT