Environmental Studies For Undergraduate Courses
f f f f
, COREfMODULEfSYLLABUSfFORfENVIRONMENTALfSTUDIESfFORf
UNDERfGRADUATEfCOURSESfOFfALLfBRANCHES
OFfHIGHERfEDUCATION
Vision
Thefimportancefoffenvironmentalfsciencefandfenvironmentalfstudiesfcannotfbefdispu
ted.fThefneedfforfsustainablefdevelopmentfisfafkeyftoftheffuturefoffmankind.fContinuingfprobl
emsfoffpollution,flossfoffforget,fsolidfwastefdisposal,fdegradationfoffenvironment,fissuesflikef
economicfproductivityfandfnationalfsecurity,fGlobalfwarming,fthefdepletionfoffozoneflayerfa
ndflossfoffbiodiversityfhavefmadefeveryonefawarefoffenvironmentalfissues.fThefUnitedfNatio
nsfCoferencefonfEnvironmentfandfDevelopmentfheldfinfRiofdefJaneriofinf1992fandfworldfSu
mmitfonfSustainablefDevelopmentfatfJohannesburgfinf2002fhavefdrawnfthefattentionfoffpeop
lefaroundfthefglobeftofthefdeterioratingfconditionfoffourfenvironment.fItfisfclearfthatfnofcitizen
offthefearthfcanfaffordftofbefignorantfoffenvironmentfissues.fEnvironmentalfmanagementfhasf
f
capturedfthefattentionfoffhealthfcarefmanagers.fManagingfenvironmentalfhazardsfhasfbecom
efveryfimportant.
Humanfbeingsfhavefbeenfinterestedfinfecologyfsincefthefbeginningfoffcivilization.fEv
enfourfancientfscripturesfhavefemphasizedfaboutfpracticesfandfvaluesfoffenvironmentalfconse
rvation.fItfisfnowfevenfmorefcriticalfthanfeverfbeforefforfmankindfasfafwholeftof havefafclearfun
derstandingfoffenvironmentalfconcernsfandftoffollowfsustainablefdevelopmentfpractices.
Indiafisfrichfinfbiodiversityfwhichfprovidesfvariousfresourcesfforfpeople.fItfisfalsofbasi
sfforfbiotechnology.
Onlyfaboutf1.7fmillionflivingforganismsfhavefbeenfdiescribedfandfnamedf globally.f S
tillf manayf moref remainf tof bef identifiedf andf described.f Attemptsf aref madef to
I
,conservefthemfinfex-situfandfin-
situfsituations.fIntellectualfpropertyfrightsf(IPRs)fhavefbecomefimportanatfinfafbiodiversity-
richfcountryflikefIndiaftofprotectfmicrobes,fplantsfandfanimalsfthatfhavefusefulfgeneticfproper
ties.fDestructionfoffhabitats,fover-
usefoffenergyfresourcefandfenvironmentalfpollutionfhavefbeenffoundftofbefresponsiblefforfthef
lossfoffaflargefnumberfofflife-
forms.fItfisffearedfthatfaflargefproportionfofflifefonfearthfmayfgetfwipedfoutfinfthefnearffuture.
Inspitefoffthefdeterioratingfstatusfoffthefenvironment,fstudyfoffenvironmentfhavefsoffa
rfnotfreceivedfadequatefattentionfinfourfacademicfprogrammes.fRecognizingfthis,fthefHon’bl
efSupremefCourtfdirectedfthefUGCftofintroducefafbasicfcoursefonfenvironmentfatfeveryflevelfi
nfcollegefeducation.fAccordingly,fthefmatterfwasfconsideredfbyfUGCfandfitfwasfdecidedfthatf
afsixfmonthsfcompulsoryfcorefmodulefcoursefinfenvironmentalfstudiesfmayfbefpreparedfandfc
ompulsorilyfimplementedfinfallfthefUniversity/CollegesfoffIndia.
ThefexpertsfcommitteefappointedfbyfthefUGCfhasflookedfintofallfthefpertinentfquesti
ons,fissuesfandfotherfrelevantfmatters.fThisfwasffollowedfbyfframingfoffthefcorefmodulefsylla
busfforfenvironmentalfstudiesfforfundergraduatefcoursesfoffallfbranchesfoffHigherfEducation.
Wefarefdeeplyfconsciousfthatftherefarefboundftofbefgapsfbetweenfthefidealfandfreal.fGeniunefe
f
ndeavourfisfrequiredftofminimizefthefgapsfbyfintellectualfandfmaterialfinputs.fThefsuccessfofft
hisfcoursefwillfdependfonfthefinitiativefandfdrivefoffthefteachersfandfthefreceptivefstudents.
SYLLABUS
Unitf1f:fMultidisciplinaryfnaturefoffenvironmentalfstudies
Definition,fscopefandfimportance
(2flectures)
Needfforfpublicfawareness.
II
, Unitf2f:fNaturalfResourcesf:
Renewablefandfnon-renewablefresourcesf:
Naturalfresourcesfandfassociatedfproblems.
a) Forestfresourcesf:fUsefandfover-
exploitation,fdeforestation,fcasefstudies.fTimberfextraction,fmining,fdamsfandft
heirfeffectsfonfforestfandftribalfpeople.
b) Waterfresourcesf:fUsefandfover-
utilizationfoffsurfacefandfgroundfwater,ffloods,fdrought,fconflictsfoverfwat
er,fdams-benefitsfandfproblems.
c) Mineralfresourcesf:fUsefandfexploitation,fenvironmentalfeffectsfoffextractingfan
dfusingfmineralfresources,fcasefstudies.
d) Foodfresourcesf:fWorldffoodfproblems,fchangesfcausedfbyfagriculturefandfovergr
azing,feffectsfoffmodernfagriculture,ffertilizer-
pesticidefproblems,fwaterflogging,fsalinity,fcasefstudies.
e) Energyfresourcesf:fGrowingfenergyfneeds,frenewablefandfnonfrenewablefen
ergyfsources,fusefoffalternatefenergyfsources.fCasefstudies.
f) Landfresourcesf:fLandfasfafresource,flandfdegradation,fmanfinducedfla
ndslides,fsoilferosionfandfdesertification.
• Rolefoffanfindividualfinfconservationfoffnaturalfresources.
• Equitablefusefoffresourecesfforfsustainableflifestyles.
(8flectures)
Unitf3f:fEcosystems
• Conceptfoffanfecosystem.
III
f f f f
, COREfMODULEfSYLLABUSfFORfENVIRONMENTALfSTUDIESfFORf
UNDERfGRADUATEfCOURSESfOFfALLfBRANCHES
OFfHIGHERfEDUCATION
Vision
Thefimportancefoffenvironmentalfsciencefandfenvironmentalfstudiesfcannotfbefdispu
ted.fThefneedfforfsustainablefdevelopmentfisfafkeyftoftheffuturefoffmankind.fContinuingfprobl
emsfoffpollution,flossfoffforget,fsolidfwastefdisposal,fdegradationfoffenvironment,fissuesflikef
economicfproductivityfandfnationalfsecurity,fGlobalfwarming,fthefdepletionfoffozoneflayerfa
ndflossfoffbiodiversityfhavefmadefeveryonefawarefoffenvironmentalfissues.fThefUnitedfNatio
nsfCoferencefonfEnvironmentfandfDevelopmentfheldfinfRiofdefJaneriofinf1992fandfworldfSu
mmitfonfSustainablefDevelopmentfatfJohannesburgfinf2002fhavefdrawnfthefattentionfoffpeop
lefaroundfthefglobeftofthefdeterioratingfconditionfoffourfenvironment.fItfisfclearfthatfnofcitizen
offthefearthfcanfaffordftofbefignorantfoffenvironmentfissues.fEnvironmentalfmanagementfhasf
f
capturedfthefattentionfoffhealthfcarefmanagers.fManagingfenvironmentalfhazardsfhasfbecom
efveryfimportant.
Humanfbeingsfhavefbeenfinterestedfinfecologyfsincefthefbeginningfoffcivilization.fEv
enfourfancientfscripturesfhavefemphasizedfaboutfpracticesfandfvaluesfoffenvironmentalfconse
rvation.fItfisfnowfevenfmorefcriticalfthanfeverfbeforefforfmankindfasfafwholeftof havefafclearfun
derstandingfoffenvironmentalfconcernsfandftoffollowfsustainablefdevelopmentfpractices.
Indiafisfrichfinfbiodiversityfwhichfprovidesfvariousfresourcesfforfpeople.fItfisfalsofbasi
sfforfbiotechnology.
Onlyfaboutf1.7fmillionflivingforganismsfhavefbeenfdiescribedfandfnamedf globally.f S
tillf manayf moref remainf tof bef identifiedf andf described.f Attemptsf aref madef to
I
,conservefthemfinfex-situfandfin-
situfsituations.fIntellectualfpropertyfrightsf(IPRs)fhavefbecomefimportanatfinfafbiodiversity-
richfcountryflikefIndiaftofprotectfmicrobes,fplantsfandfanimalsfthatfhavefusefulfgeneticfproper
ties.fDestructionfoffhabitats,fover-
usefoffenergyfresourcefandfenvironmentalfpollutionfhavefbeenffoundftofbefresponsiblefforfthef
lossfoffaflargefnumberfofflife-
forms.fItfisffearedfthatfaflargefproportionfofflifefonfearthfmayfgetfwipedfoutfinfthefnearffuture.
Inspitefoffthefdeterioratingfstatusfoffthefenvironment,fstudyfoffenvironmentfhavefsoffa
rfnotfreceivedfadequatefattentionfinfourfacademicfprogrammes.fRecognizingfthis,fthefHon’bl
efSupremefCourtfdirectedfthefUGCftofintroducefafbasicfcoursefonfenvironmentfatfeveryflevelfi
nfcollegefeducation.fAccordingly,fthefmatterfwasfconsideredfbyfUGCfandfitfwasfdecidedfthatf
afsixfmonthsfcompulsoryfcorefmodulefcoursefinfenvironmentalfstudiesfmayfbefpreparedfandfc
ompulsorilyfimplementedfinfallfthefUniversity/CollegesfoffIndia.
ThefexpertsfcommitteefappointedfbyfthefUGCfhasflookedfintofallfthefpertinentfquesti
ons,fissuesfandfotherfrelevantfmatters.fThisfwasffollowedfbyfframingfoffthefcorefmodulefsylla
busfforfenvironmentalfstudiesfforfundergraduatefcoursesfoffallfbranchesfoffHigherfEducation.
Wefarefdeeplyfconsciousfthatftherefarefboundftofbefgapsfbetweenfthefidealfandfreal.fGeniunefe
f
ndeavourfisfrequiredftofminimizefthefgapsfbyfintellectualfandfmaterialfinputs.fThefsuccessfofft
hisfcoursefwillfdependfonfthefinitiativefandfdrivefoffthefteachersfandfthefreceptivefstudents.
SYLLABUS
Unitf1f:fMultidisciplinaryfnaturefoffenvironmentalfstudies
Definition,fscopefandfimportance
(2flectures)
Needfforfpublicfawareness.
II
, Unitf2f:fNaturalfResourcesf:
Renewablefandfnon-renewablefresourcesf:
Naturalfresourcesfandfassociatedfproblems.
a) Forestfresourcesf:fUsefandfover-
exploitation,fdeforestation,fcasefstudies.fTimberfextraction,fmining,fdamsfandft
heirfeffectsfonfforestfandftribalfpeople.
b) Waterfresourcesf:fUsefandfover-
utilizationfoffsurfacefandfgroundfwater,ffloods,fdrought,fconflictsfoverfwat
er,fdams-benefitsfandfproblems.
c) Mineralfresourcesf:fUsefandfexploitation,fenvironmentalfeffectsfoffextractingfan
dfusingfmineralfresources,fcasefstudies.
d) Foodfresourcesf:fWorldffoodfproblems,fchangesfcausedfbyfagriculturefandfovergr
azing,feffectsfoffmodernfagriculture,ffertilizer-
pesticidefproblems,fwaterflogging,fsalinity,fcasefstudies.
e) Energyfresourcesf:fGrowingfenergyfneeds,frenewablefandfnonfrenewablefen
ergyfsources,fusefoffalternatefenergyfsources.fCasefstudies.
f) Landfresourcesf:fLandfasfafresource,flandfdegradation,fmanfinducedfla
ndslides,fsoilferosionfandfdesertification.
• Rolefoffanfindividualfinfconservationfoffnaturalfresources.
• Equitablefusefoffresourecesfforfsustainableflifestyles.
(8flectures)
Unitf3f:fEcosystems
• Conceptfoffanfecosystem.
III
