L 2 C 2
Teachers Continuous Evaluation: as per university examination norms. End Term Theory Examination: as per university examination norms.
Course outcomes
- The course is designed to impart basic knowledge of the environment and its components. [K2, K3]
- The course deals with creating awareness about the environmental resources, their sustainable management, current environmental problems faced by the world and their probable solutions.[K1, K2,K3,K4]
- A detailed understanding of the cause, effect and controlling measures of environmental pollution, waste management and related case studies. [K2,K3,K4]
- To understand and explore different approaches, government initiatives for protecting the environment, conserving ecosystems, and maintaining sustainability for the benefit of society. [K1, K2,K3]
Unit I (5 lectures)
Fundamentals: The Multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies: Definition, components, scope, and importance, need for public awareness; Ecosystems: Concept, Structure and function of an ecosystem, energy flow in ecosystems, food chain, food web, ecological pyramids, ecological succession; Introduction to types, characteristics features, structure and function of different ecosystems including forest, grassland, desert and aquatic ecosystem; Biodiversity: Introduction to biodiversity- definition, genetics, species, ecosystem diversity, bio-geographical classification of India, value of biodiversity-consumptive uses, productive, social, ethical, aesthetic and option values, India as a mega diversity nation, hot spots of biodiversity, threats to biodiversity– habitat loss, poaching of wild life, man wildlife conflicts and conservation of biodiversity- in-situ and ex-situ conservation.
Unit II (5 lectures)
Water Resources: Use and over-utilization of surface and ground water, floods, drought, conflicts over water, dams-benefits and problems Forest resources: Use and over-exploitation, deforestation, Timber extraction, mining, dams, and their effects on forest and tribal people, case studies. Mineral resources: Use and exploitation, environmental effects of extracting and using mineral resources, case studies. Sustainable management: Energy, water, air, infrastructure, mobility, greenhouse effects.
Unit III (7 lectures)
Environmental Pollution and waste management: Air Pollution: Types of pollutants, source, effects, sink & control of primary pollutants CO, NOX, HC, SOx, and particulates; Water Pollution: Classification of Pollutants, their sources, wastewater treatment (domestic and industrial); Soil Pollution: Composition of soil, classification, and effects of solid pollutants and their control; Marine Pollution: Causes, effects, and control of marine pollution, coastal zone management; Thermal pollution: Causes, effects, and control of marine pollution, coastal zone management. Waste Management: Solid Waste Management: Classification, waste treatment and disposal methods; composting, sanitary land filling, thermal processes, recycling and reuse methods; Hazardous wastes: Classification, radioactive, biomedical & chemical, treatment and disposal- Physical, chemical and biological processes. E-Waste and Battery Waste: Classification, sources and characteristics of e-waste and battery waste, environmental impacts, collection and segregation, recycling, resource recovery, treatment and disposal – physical, chemical and biological processes, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and sustainable management practices.
Unit IV (5 lectures)
Environmental Policies, Human Population, and Environment: Climate change, global warming, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, nuclear accidents, case studies; Some important Environmental laws, issues involved in enforcement of environment legislations, Green bench; carbon footprint, Montreal and Kyoto Protocol, The Chemical Weapons Convention, Environment Impact Assessment; population growth and variation among nations; Role of government and non-government organizations in public awareness and environment improvement. Disaster Management: Floods, earthquakes, cyclones, and landslides.
Textbooks
- Gadi, R., Rattan, S., & Mohapatra, S. (2024). A textbook of environmental studies (5th ed.). S. K. Kataria & Sons
- Meenakshi, P. (2012). Elements of environmental science and engineering (2nd ed.). PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.
- Kaushik, A., & Kaushik, C. P. (2010). Basics of environment and ecology. New Age International Publishers.
References
- Mishra, D. D. (2023). Fundamental concepts in environmental studies for undergraduate students: NEP 2020 (Revised ed.). S. Chand Publishing.
- Bharucha, E. (2025). Textbook of environmental studies for undergraduate courses (4th ed.). Universities Press.
- Joseph, B. (2017). Environmental studies (3rd ed.). McGraw Hill Education. (The 3rd edition is the latest widely available edition.)