IN FOCUS
Creating the future green brigade
Sunit Dhawan

THE Department of Environment Science and Engineering was started in 1995 at Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar, which has been accredited with Grade A by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. The university offers technical and management courses with a focus on environment studies. The department was started with the aim to of providing technically trained manpower for tackling multi-pronged environmental problems.

The university offers three postgraduate courses---M.Sc in Environmental Sciences, M.Tech in Environmental Science and Engineering and PG Diploma in Environment Management.

There are 25 seats in the M.Sc course and 20 in the M.Tech course. The annual fee for the courses is Rs 13,873 (M.Sc) and Rs 20, 873 (M.Tech).

M.Tech eligibility

For the M.Tech programme, the students who have completed their M.Sc (Environmental Sciences), B.E or B.Tech are eligible for admission. The entrance to this course is on the basis of the GATE score or a separate entrance test conducted by the university. The programme has an integrated approach involving the latest advances in physical and biological sciences as well as engineering to deal with the environmental problems.

M.Sc programme

The M.Sc programme is spread over four semesters. It focuses on three aspects of training: Building a sound theoretical base, providing intensive practical training and developing analytical and research skills.

After the completion of one year, the students are assigned laboratory or field projects in various specializations, to be done under the supervision of faculty members. In addition, the students also undergo training for four to six weeks in some industry, institute or NGO during their summer vacation.

The students are given theoretical as well as practical exposure in the multidisciplinary fields relating to the atmospheric and earth sciences, ecology, environmental chemistry, environmental microbiology, environmental biotechnology, resource conservation, pollution monitoring, management and modeling, impact assessment, remote sensing, disaster management and environmental legislation.

The department has got research collaborations with the National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi; Indian Meteorological Department, New Delhi; G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Almora; DRDO, New Delhi; Haryana Remote Sensing Application Centre, Hisar; and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Diploma course

The one-year postgraduate diploma course is open to all graduates. It is being run through correspondence. According to the course coordinator, Dr Narsi Ram Bishnoi, the course has been designed to create environmental awareness. Besides fresh graduates and working professionals, the course can be of great use to the teaching community, he feels.

Since Environment Science has been introduced as a subject at the school and college levels, the teachers of Botany, Zoology, Chemistry and Geography can teach this subject if they do the diploma course. The major topics covered in the diploma course include fundamentals of our environment, natural resources and their management, environmental pollution, pollution control and management, energy and disaster management and environmental awareness and legislation.