A Capacity Building Workshop for Students was successfully conducted on December 19, 2025 at the Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Banthra, Lucknow. The workshop was led by Dr. Surya Kant, Professor and Head of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) and a National Core Committee Member of Doctors for Clean Air and Climate Action. Around 120 medical students actively participated in the session.

The workshop aimed to harness the influence of the medical fraternity to enhance public awareness about air pollution and strengthen the role of the health sector in public discourse and policy advocacy. Addressing the participants, Dr. Surya Kant emphasized that air pollution affects not only the lungs but the entire human body. He explained that prolonged exposure to polluted air leads to premature aging and substantially increases the risk of serious health conditions, including COPD, lung cancer, pneumonia, tuberculosis, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disorders. He strongly emphasized that clean air is a fundamental right of every citizen and not a privilege.

Concluding the session, he encouraged students and future healthcare professionals to take proactive roles by adopting eco-friendly lifestyles, reducing their carbon footprint, and becoming ‘Vayu Mitras’ to promote clean air awareness and support local mitigation initiatives in collaboration with diverse stakeholders.