According to a report by the Economic Times, India’s rapidly growing poor air quality and gas emissions were the main reasons behind our country’s lowest ranking in the environmental performance index of 2022. The report claims, “India, with increasingly dangerous air quality and rapidly rising greenhouse gas emissions, falls to the bottom of rankings for the first time.”

Today, environmental abasement is a primary concern for the country, especially in the Indian agro-life, with the increasing use of harsh chemicals – insecticides and pesticides. These chemicals have adulterated soil and groundwater, thereby causing severe damage to India’s water bodies. As a result, either they are being damaged or shrinking. Moreover, the climate crisis’s ramifications are visible in agriculture, with India Meteorological Department (IMD) stating a steadfast increase in dangerous weather situations like hailstorms, excessive deluges, and thunderstorms.

This is just one of the concerns. There are many: air and sound pollution, global warming, forest fires, poor sewage systems, extreme weather conditions, brown industries, extinction of wild species – animals and planets – perpetual use of plastic, deforestation, and much more. This is a warning for the country. Today, our country is grappling with numerous environmental issues which have only escalated in the last few years. It is time we take the onus of these concerns and handle them without turning a blind eye.

Can we make India green again? Of course, we can.

Numerous universities in the country offer environmental studies or courses. And doesn’t it sound good and morally encouraging? However, research has consecutively shown that only offering environmental studies alone have hardly yielded fruitful results. The programme will make a difference only when it is complemented with prudent classroom debates on ecological concerns at the local/city/district/state level. It should also discuss social, economic, and gender gaps. In short, the curriculum should be good enough to discuss environmental problems.

Unfortunately, India does not have such educational institutes. This means India does not have enough educators to discuss crucial issues like rising temperature, abrupt rainfall patterns, growing water blight, the biodiversity crisis, extinction odds, etc. However, fewer academic institutions have started responding to global environmental needs to allow young students to trace and track the causes and pitfalls of the contemporary ecological crisis. Most of these courses have an interdisciplinary approach. Why? To enable students to research, teach and scrutinize India’s resources and its interconnection with environmental science.

Earn an environmental degree from India’s no. 1 private university

91̽�� (JGU), a non-profit, multi-disciplinary, and research-focused varsity, offers a three-year residential BA (Honours) in Environmental Studies under its Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability with a complete focus on outstanding teaching, research, and practice-oriented engagement. The university is India’s number 1 private varsity and has received a ranking from the prestigious QS World University Rankings. It has as many as 114 full-time international faculty members from 43 countries with exceptional educational experience.

The undergraduate BA (Honours) in Environmental Studies course at JGU focuses on interdisciplinary research work covering distinctive environmental concerns such as:

• Environmental justice
• Climate change concerns
• Environmental management
• Ecology and conservation
• Environmental laws & ethics
• Environmental health issues
• Natural resources management
• Environmental policy & regulation

Students, while pursuing the undergraduate course, will also focus on topics like:

• Biodiversity
• Food security
• Sustainability
• Wildlife protection
• Environmental crimes
• Toxic chemical pollution
• Race, poverty & environment
• Transport & transport fuels
• Natural resources conservation
• Sustainable food & agriculture
• Wetlands and delta management
• Oceanography & marine biology
• Forest ecosystems & management
• Globalization, labour & environment
• Geochemistry: Understanding earth’s environment

There is more to the course and university.

Why choose the Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability to pursue BA (Honours) in Environmental Studies?

• Students will learn from exceptional teachers and industry experts. They will also study under the guidance of research faculty members from one of the world’s leading universities: Harvard. Yale, Oxford, etc.

• The school believes in producing world-class environmentalists and sustainable experts. And for this, it offers students experiential learning through practical learning, debate and discussion sessions, etc.

• The school offers a diverse career options after environmental studies. Students can apply in industries like agriculture, apparel & fashion, food, cosmetics, academics & research, wildlife, science and technology, biodiversity, etc.

• The course will also allow students to collect, examine and communicate complicated technical data to others in the environment and sustainable sector and develop research, analytical and problem-solving techniques.

• Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability has collaborations with the leading corporate houses of the world that will help its students build ingrain industry-driven education and desired corporate exposure.

• Geographer, geologist, Solar installer, wildlife expert, agricultural scientist, environmental specialist, marine biologist, or even urban planner; you could be anything after pursuing a BA (Honours) in Environmental Studies.
  
  
• Students will develop a comprehensive understanding of local, national, and international environmental issues (the ones stated in the article’s introduction).
  
  
• Apart from core courses, students can also choose from more than 100 interdisciplinary social science & humanities subjects.

• It also allows students to grab a dual degree, semester exchange, and intensive course at JGU’s international academic partners worldwide.

It is a collective effort.

In the present, where fresh and critical environmental concerns are spreading faster than bushfires by gagging sombre challenges, it is indispensable. As the citizens of our country, it is indispensable that we come together to combat this severe threat of ecological degradation that is constantly threatening our existence. Careers in environmental studies are infinite. But for some time, let us focus on “giving” instead of “receiving,” just like Sunderlal Bahuguna, the Indian pioneer of the Chipko movement, did and brought a significant change. It is certainly not too late to conserve the planet and its species.

Adding to this crisis are the uncertainties induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. ��Since 2020, the pandemic has transformed ����our lifestyle and, behaviour. A recently published article by News18 suggests that in 2020, only months into Covid-19, search interest for ‘How to live a sustainable lifestyle?’ has increased by more than 4550% on the Google search engine. While being restricted at homes, many people have increasingly realized that our lifestyle and choices has adversely impact the planet, and are leading to its degradation.

The urge to build health-immunity was linked to adopting healthier ways of living – doing exercises, using organic products, being mindful of daily expenses, and using limited non-renewable resources. This lifestyle shifts towards a sustainable living needs to be enduring, and the need of the hour is to include these practices into our daily lives.

The term ‘Sustainable Living’ can be understood as the practice of reducing and modifying our use and demand of natural and personal resources.  For example, commuting via public transportation, buying products that use eco-friendly raw material, using water judiciously. While this attempt to counter world problems can feel overwhelming at times, we need to understand that most sustainable changes   occurred via small, localized actions – taken up by individuals, groups and communities.

In this purview, there is a dire need for a group of professionals – trained to work towards sustainable and inclusive development. The 91̽�� (JGU) very well recognises this need and has launched an undergraduate degree programme –  B.A./B.Sc. (Hons.) Sustainable Development, which is taught at Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability (JSES).

This programme is an important contribution to the global efforts toward building a sustainable future with cutting-edge teaching, research, and practice-based engagement. Through national and international collaborations, JSES promotes interdisciplinary studies, joint teaching and research programmes, and a comparative perspective on environment and sustainability issues.

The B.A./B.Sc. (Hons.) in Sustainable Development uniquely combines natural and social sciences with humanities to equip students with a thorough understanding of sustainable development and its many facets. The curriculum ensures that the students are engaged in a plethora of subjects related to the field of sustainable development such as – rural-urban linkages, land use, energy, climate change, air, water and toxic chemical pollution, water resource management, natural resources management, and corporate social responsibility etc.

Following an interdisciplinary approach to education, the programme provides an innovative environment to students to build socially conscious humans with cutting-edge skills and knowledge.

Know more about the programme here and get trained to become LEADERS of TOMORROW!

Imagine there is an independent dome, housing 100 people. The dome, a capsule of self-sufficient resources, has been in existence for generations. It is divided into several regions. Every region has its own specificities and features. ��Some regions are richer, some have more natural resources and some are fighting for their survival for a lack of resources.

Each day, the activities of the 100 people, divided into such regions, impact the dome-system. The operating word that dictates the dome-system is scarcity. Scarcity of resources, both natural and economic. Those regions within the dome, which are fighting for their survival for want of economic opportunities and resources, are also facing the worst impacts of the poisonous changes in the system – changes that are occurring due to the exploitation of the limited resources available under the dome. While they fight for their survival, they also need to thrive, and for this, they need ample growth.

Growth, within the dome, has historically been achieved through the extraction of natural resources. It has been aimed towards making more wealth, more goods and commodities, and an abundance of luxuries. Better cars, better hardware products, better energy services. All these are direct consequences of extractive industries. So in essence, ‘growth’ is leading to a net gain in fossil fuel consumption through such extractive industries. Fossil Fuel consumption, essentially, is leading to poisonous gases (or gases that are harmful to the dome-system above the prescribed concentrations) being released in the dome-system. The system is dying, and so are its inhabitants.

Every year, a grand council of the people comes together to ascertain the way forward. Collective action is imperative to save the diseased dome. Every region approaches the council with their respective priorities, of growth, of survival, and everything in between. The scientists suggest that time is running out, and the signs are evident in attribution science with instances of floods and droughts and famines and cyclones becoming fiercer and more common. Once in a decade events are taking place every year now. The dome is collapsing.

The above hypothetical example seeks to explain the problem at a scale that is understandable to the reader. One of the issues with environmental diplomacy is the scale of the climate change crisis. It impacts different regions of the world differently. Thus the priorities of such regions is seldom same.

As discussed, scarcity of resources, priorities of regions and nations, will of governments, principles and matrices of equity, and the scale of the problem are issues that often create an almost helpless maze of impasses that are internalised on the bases of diversity.

The Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change met for the 26th time in Glasgow recently. The meeting was touted to be a now-or-never kind of affair that was supposed to push the world towards a concrete and tangible decarbonisation by 2050 path. However, the collective action problem, one where,��​everyone��has a choice between two alternatives and where, if everyone involved acts��​rationally, the outcome will be worse for everyone involved, in their own estimation, than it would be if they were all to choose the other alternative​ – played its part. The COP 26 turned out to be a failure, or a slight success, depending on your expectations from the meeting.

Outside of political will and varying priorities, the fact of the matter remains that since pre-industrial levels, the earth’s temperature has risen by 1.1 degrees. This has already impacted the planet in terms of tangible apocalyptic weather events that otherwise occurred once in a generation. Chennai, for example, which has been facing acute water scarcity, was again met with floods causing death and destruction. It is suggested that in a��moderate��emission scenario, the temperature rise by the end of the century will be 2.9 degrees. This is more than double the current rise. The consequences would be dire with the first and worst affected being those who have comparably not contributed as much to the current crisis.��

What have been seen as natural disasters now need to be seen as human-caused disasters, and issues like migration, sea level rise, public health need to be seen as functions of our everyday activities in terms of the carbon footprint. Our consumption patterns have not been indicative of the crisis and require an all encompassing��grassroots to��board-room to parliament��approach to relook at our fiscal structures and pollution related externalities anent the value versus cost taxation structures in place.��

The planet faces a challenge that is beyond any that it has seen, and the inherent issues with collective action need to be solved before there is nothing one can do. While ambitious targets have been put forth by various governments and non-state actors, the difference between such ambitions and their realisation remain effective and just execution, an issue that has been generally lacking despite rare instances of green-will outcomes.

Our dome is collapsing, and we need to act now to save it.

Author: Prof. Eeshan Chaturvedi, Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor, Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability, 91̽��.

Responding to contemporary demands and keeping up with the trends and developments unique to contemporary realities, the programmes are multidisciplinary, internationally aligned, and innovative in cutting-edge curriculum and course structure to empower the students. Identifying the need of the hour and current issues that ought to be addressed in the society is pivotal to JGU’s motto as A Private University Promoting Public Service. Be it the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the grave issues stemming from issues relating to human rights, behavioural studies, climate change, or new age career opportunities that interest the modern-day youth, JGU provides a platform for interested candidates to nurture their abilities by providing them with the requisite means for holistic development.    

The Founding Vice Chancellor of 91̽��, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumarsaid, “JGU is deeply committed towards implementing the National Education Policy 2020. It is our collective and committed efforts in institution building over the last 12 years, which have taken us to this new milestone. The launch of two new schools and 17 new UG and PG programmes marks the beginning of a new journey in institution and nation building. As the world has been changed forever due to the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic, education, learning and knowledge creation has also undergone a sea change. Our students and future leaders need to be prepared for the unexpected and the unanticipated challenges. Towards this end, it our aim to create study programmes, which will respond to the future through creative, international and multi-disciplinary curriculum, cutting edge course outline and a truly global learning experience to help fulfill the goals and aspirations of our students.”  

The 17 New Programmes Launched by JGU for 2022 Student Intake: 

1. B.A. (Hons.) HUMAN RIGHTS
2. B.A. (Hons.) GENDER STUDIES
3. B.A. (Hons.) CRIMINOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE 
4. B.A. (Hons.) DIPLOMACY & FOREIGN POLICY
5. B.A. (Hons.) PUBLIC POLICY
6. B.A. (Hons.) SOCIOLOGY
7. B.A. (Hons.) FILM & NEW MEDIA
8. B.Com. (Hons.) CAPITAL MARKETS
9. Global B.Com. (Hons.) 
10. B.A./B.Sc. (Hons.) SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
11. B.A. (Hons.) ENGLISH
12. B.A. (Hons.) SPANISH
13. BPH (Hons.) Bachelor of PUBLIC HEALTH
14. M.A./M.Sc. APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
15. M.Sc. BEHAVIOURAL FINANCE  
16. Integrated M.Sc. & Ph.D. in BEHAVIOURAL FINANCE  
17. One Year Global MBA BUSINESS ANALYTICS 

Professor (Dr.) Upasana Mahanta, Dean, Office of Admissions and Outreach said, “Our programmes offer a unique framework for addressing contemporary realities and challenges with cutting-edge teaching, research, and interdisciplinary and experiential learning led by outstanding faculty members who are inspiring teachers and prolific scholars. Our new courses will enable our students to be prepared for the vagaries of nature where multi-disciplinary learning can enable thought leaders to respond to the new and emerging challenges.”  

Professor Anand Prakash Mishra, Director of Law Admissions & Associate Dean, Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) said, “Whoever aspires to study law and related disciplines in India today must consider studying at JGLS, simply because it’s the most premiere legal education ecosystem in South Asia with over 475 full-time faculty members and 30 research centers. JGLS is also Number one in India and only internationally ranked Indian law school as 76th best law school of the world as per the QS World University Rankings by Subject Law 2021. The four new UG BA (Hons.) programmes that JGLS offers in Legal Studies, Gender Studies, Human Rights, Criminology & Criminal Justice will enable JGLS to fulfil the goals and aspirations of many students who are interested to pursue undergraduate education on various dimensions of law and justice.”  

Mr. Vikram Singh Tomar, Director of Admissions, Jindal Global Business School (JGBS) emphasized that, “The dynamics of the changing marketplace has created new demands for management professionals with business analytic skills that require a thorough change in the curriculum. Sustainability and expansion are now going hand in hand. The industry therefore requires the logical decision-making capacities, which JGBS intends to foster through its newly designed One-Year MBA in Business Analytics programme for working professionals, which will equip and enhance the much-needed analytical skills thereby meeting the present day aspirations of corporates – Indian and global”.  

The idea of holistic learning is at its core interred with interdisciplinarity. But as subjects evolved, delving deeper into the development of their unique fields, somewhere along the way, methods of teaching and learning became a little more rigid, less fluid. Perhaps in the quest for super specialisations, or even to an extent, to make students more employable in their chosen paths.

But what constitutes employability today? Can disciplinary knowledge alone cover the breadth of possibilities that this modern world beholds? And perhaps, most importantly – are students able to make the most of their education? The answers to these questions, just as the nature of learning and knowledge, are constantly evolving. The lines between disciplines blur in a world that’s grown more interconnected than ever before.

Yet for far too long, the Indian education system has kept disciplines distanced from each other. Beginning from early childhood to higher education, learning traditionally takes place in silos. High school and undergraduate students are typically required to choose between streams and subjects. As teenagers, they carry the weight of decisions that could direct, change and even narrow their futures.

It’s a tall task to ask of young people in their formative years. Years that could be better spent exploring their options, discovering interests, learning as much as possible, absorbing a more holistic worldview that will enable them to grow into well-rounded, open-minded, sensitive and intelligent young adults.

All that is about to change. At least, that is what the revolutionary National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 claims. As we stand on the verge of a breakthrough reform, the NEP promises a bold change. One that espouses interdisciplinarity in its very core. The breaking down of disciplinary boundaries is a big leap from traditional learning frameworks. Systematically restructuring the way learning has taken place for decades, even centuries, the NEP demands educators, policy makers, and students to step up and brace themselves for change, even if it will come slowly.

Coming from a time when academic disciplines don’t speak to each other, creating interdisciplinary curriculum, effective pedagogy, skilling teachers, among others, will be milestones to look forward to as India revamps itself to tap into the potential of interdisciplinarity.

It will challenge young people to embark on academic pursuits with more freedom, imagination and abandon than ever before. Looking at life through a multidisciplinary lens will result in the ability to approach problems from a broader perspective. And that’s just what’s needed today.

If you think about the most burning issues of the contemporary world – climate change, sustainability, inequality, poverty, justice, human rights, international relations, conflict, war and peace – their solutions cannot be located simply within a singular field. The “real world” which we, as educators, prepare our students to enter, is complex. And it’s in the interplay between disciplines that we can find holistic answers. We must therefore equip students to live successfully amidst the dynamic realities of the world, by inspiring creativity, innovation and broader thinking. Armed with interdisciplinary learning, students can find their place in this ever-evolving world.

Contrary to traditional curricula that are designed to transform students into a cohort of specialised professionals with advanced knowledge in a particular domain, multidisciplinarity takes a different route to “employability”. Students gain an arsenal of skills that are easily transferable across different fields– problem-solving, critical thinking, team work, time management, strong communication, analysis and research methodologies, and much more – which equip them with the flexibility to choose their own path. In the rapidly changing and highly demanding modern context, traditional degrees tend to leave graduates wanting, whereas multidisciplinary talent has the power to overcome the challenges and conquer the possibilities of the future.

The push to consider the real world learning outcomes of interdisciplinarity has gained momentum globally over the past decades. It is firmly established at the world’s best universities like Harvard, Oxford, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, and so on. Yet in India, only a niche set of schools and universities have adopted this approach. At 91̽��, we have consciously held interdisciplinarity at the core of learning.

This means that students enrolled in each of the ten schools – law, business, international relations, liberal arts, architecture, journalism, public policy, banking, environment or psychology – take up foundational interdisciplinary courses within their schools, and also study cross-listed electives across the board. They also participate in interdisciplinary research alongside their peers and mentors. Faculty from diverse backgrounds and disciplines also come together to prepare interdisciplinary courses, which further enriches the value of interdisciplinarity throughout the institutional culture.

Multidisciplinarity is important for a number of reasons. It not only exposes students to new and diverse disciplines, thoughts or perspectives, but helps them discover what interests them, and how to contextualise their specialised areas of study with other disciplines.

As students prepare to enter a world that is increasingly multifaceted itself, interdisciplinarity can no longer be overlooked in the classroom. So its inclusion as a central goal of the NEP is not only welcome in the academic world, but overdue. It remains to be seen if the policy can revolutionise the education system. In the end, disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity must go hand-in-hand. So that students may not only gain knowledge during their academic life but nurture a holistic outlook that sets the tone for lifelong learning.

The visionary proposal keeps today’s learners at the centre of a multi-pronged approach to transform education right from early childhood to higher education. By recognising on-going challenges, the NEP boldly envisions revamping every step along the way. It outlines a fundamental shift in the perception of teaching and learning, jolting the country out a slumber of dated practices, into a refreshing new possibility for the future.

Here are some of the key highlights that can herald a new age of higher education in India:

Redefining the meaning of “education”

A slew of changes is to be expected in the very ways in which higher education institutions (HEIs) will operate. In fact, the NEP challenges the core understanding of “education” itself.

It seeks to free students and educators of the prevalent binds of a culture of rote learning. It offers, instead, frameworks that will create a more immersive, exploratory, creative, stimulating and conceptual educational experience, where students will shift from learning “what to think” to learning “how to think”.

Multidisciplinary learning, the key to holistic growth

A central theme in the NEP is multidisciplinarity. Today, only a niche group of schools and universities have adopted this approach. The idea of moving away from silos and compartmentalised disciplines to combine different perspectives is the bedrock of a holistic learning framework. As young students prepare to enter a world that is increasingly multifaceted, an atmosphere that nurtures dynamic thinking and transferrable skills will go a long way.

As per the policy, all HEIs will aim to move towards interdisciplinary, holistic curricula that offer every opportunity for students to pursue their diverse interests, across social science and STEM disciplines, to transform into well-rounded individuals capable of succeeding in tune with the changing times. Students will have increased flexibility to chart their path in sync with their unique interests and future plans.

Restructuring higher education

The “fragmented” ecosystem of higher education could come together as a more integrated whole, if the NEP’s vision of combining different institutions into multidisciplinary universities and “higher education institution clusters” or “knowledge hubs” can be successfully charted.

Undergraduate programmes will be either three or four years, with multiple entry and exit points offering different levels of certification. Coupled with a credit transfer system, this reform opens the doors for students to gain a lot more control over their education.

The overarching goal of increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio in HEIs to 50% by 2035 will be a big victory for Indian education, if achieved in time.

Leveraging technology and digitisation

Making students “future-ready” means initiating more digitisation in teaching and developing tech-savviness among students from across socio-economic backgrounds. This digital divide in access to quality education has been a major barrier that’s become more evident during the on-going pandemic. By upgrading digital infrastructure, supporting digitisation of higher education, and promoting online courses, the NEP charts a careful and robust route to overcome this challenge.

Focus on capacity-building of faculty

The NEP acknowledges that the most important factor in the success of higher education is the capability of faculty. It focuses on substantially boosting the motivation of highly qualified, experienced and exposed academicians and professionals to enter academia. Faculty may have the academic freedom to design their own curricula and assessment methods, and implement innovative pedagogies, within certain frameworks. Further incentives include faculty research and faculty development programmes, among others.

More public funding; encouraging private philanthropy

Such transformative measures to boost higher education need significant funding. To that end, the NEP has underlined the importance public as well as private initiatives and assures increased funding from the government. Additionally, it has encouraged the role of philanthropy in uplifting quality education.

Common entrance exams for universities

Creating a level playing field for students to gain admissions to quality HEIs calls for common entrance exams. The NEP will reform the National Testing Agency’s scope to conduct such exams across the board in India.

Boosting internationalisation, building world-class institutions

In an increasingly interconnected world, students must prepare for the global nature of their future prospects. From supporting institutions to welcome more international students in India, to offering Indian students the opportunity to study abroad, the NEP aims to foster international partnerships in various models.

According to the NEP, “high performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries” and “selected universities e.g., those from among the top 100 universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India”.

The aforementioned steps will be a major thrust to boost the quality of higher education in India to come up to par with global standards.

In an ambitious roadmap, the NEP offers a progressive new paradigm crafted for the new generation of young Indians. It will call for greater levels of transparency within government and regulatory bodies, more institutional independence, and an urgent sense of responsibility among all.

Can the NEP transform India into a global education hub or perhaps even a superpower? It has floated many big ideas to harness this potential—and it is now up to the government, educators, students, parents and various stakeholders involved to rise to the occasion.

A small group of voices has been screaming climate change for a long time. Yet there is a need for climate action with a refreshed perspective—and it is coming. When youth icons like teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg to India’s very own, eight-year-old Licypriya Kangujam stand up and speak out, the whole world listens. Imagine what a generation of empowered young people could do to save the world?

That is exactly what 91̽�� (JGU), Sonipat has set out to inspire. It is in the search for solutions towards a sustainable future that the private university recently launched its new school, Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability (JSES). Here’s a look at some salient reasons to consider the three-year interdisciplinary programme, B.A. (Hons.) Environmental Studies that will offer a platform for young people to prepare for the environmental needs of the 21st century.

1. Save the world!

It is clear as day—though ironically, clear days are numbered—that climate change is real. Yet climate action has been coming slowly. The landmark Paris Agreement of 2015, that set out to curb rising temperatures “well below” two degrees Celsius, is going to miss the mark. To succeed in meeting environmental goals requires greater levels of innovation and collaboration between industries, governments, academics and communities. Through cutting-edge teaching, research and practice-based engagements, students will be equipped with the know-how to identify key solutions at JSES. The school hopes to evolve a strategic plan for these extraordinary times.

• Understand the environment in a holistic way

“A primary goal of JSES is to offer undergraduate students a concentration in environmental studies with an opportunity to explore how humans interact with the environment, including physical, biological, philosophical, social and legal elements,” explains Dr. Armin Rosencranz, Dean and Professor, JSES.

As the world faces an increasing array of challenges, solving them requires one to understand a diversity of perspectives behind environment and sustainability issues. Students will learn to appreciate the environment in tandem with economics, law, policy, politics, technology, culture, and much more through a well-rounded multidisciplinary curriculum. Its focus on qualitative and quantitative analysis and research will foster skills to consider global, national and local concerns more empirically. The programme will also introduce a strong practical dimension through student-initiated projects. For young students, the opportunity to specialise in a field of their choice and create real-world impact is remarkable.

• Learn from the best

“This is the vanguard of something that can be incredibly exciting and powerful. There’s no other place on Earth where such an institution could take root and actually achieve results. It gives me hope and confidence, that with lawyers like M.C. Mehta and leaders like Prof. Raj Kumar and Prof. Rosencranz, we’re going to be able to do it,” beams Justice Michael D. Wilson, Supreme Court of Hawaii, who is among JSES’s International Board of Advisors.

The faculty and advisory line-up is a pool of interdisciplinary academicians from top international universities, and legendary professionals like Mr. M.C. Mehta, the celebrated Indian environmental lawyer. Educated at Princeton and Stanford, Dean of JSES, Prof. Rosencranz is an iconic figure in the field. He co-authored the book Environmental Law and Policy in India, which is easily to be found on the bed-side of many aspiring environmentalists! It is this level of expertise and mentorship that will bolster learning at JSES.

• Explore multidisciplinary electives

Whether you go down the route of employment or entrepreneurship, diversifying your skill set is important in today’s world. Complementing a niche specialisation with a broader understanding of other areas is a winning combination.

A striking advantage of studying at an interdisciplinary university with schools of law, business, international affairs, public policy, journalism and communication, art and architecture, banking and finance, and liberal arts and humanities is the scope to explore a spectrum of cross-listed electives.

Students can delve deeper into areas of interest and build-up a holistic academic portfolio. For instance, a course on ‘Environmental Management & Green Marketing’ can support green entrepreneurs in-the-making; or ‘Negotiation, Mediation & Arbitration’ can lend an edge to those interested in law and diplomacy. An Environmental Studies graduate who knows a thing or two about ‘Doing Business in China’, ‘Design Thinking’ or ‘Governance of Artificial Intelligence & Blockchain’ will be a cut above the rest.

• Launch into careers in conservation, policy, law, research & more

There are many ways you can be a crusader for the environment. Graduates can work with conservation groups and NGOs at a practical level; apply theoretical knowledge to careers with think-tanks, governments, research organisations and academia; or use the broad-based degree as a spring-board for futures in other fields—the possibilities are endless.

The world needs more lawyers, businesspeople, politicians, journalists, bankers, economists, diplomats, artists, analysts, researchers and academicians as much as hands-on environmental activists, who are equally passionate about the planet, ready to rise to the challenges, and facilitate positive action in every sphere. This is a programme that aims to raise a generation of responsible citizens of the planet.

Sustainable development is an urgent and undeniable need today, to revive our planet from the environmental crisis.

Ecological challenges like global warming, climate change, species extinction, loss of biodiversity, pollution, and more are largely a consequence of unprecedented growth in human population, technological advancement, environmental negligence and rampant development. Our future depends upon striking a balance between human development and environmental conservation.

The B.A. (Hons.) in Environmental Studies at Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability (JSES) opens the doors for you to make a difference.

You will be empowered to help shape our collective futures and bring about environmental conservation, sustainable policy-making, management and governance that balances environmental, economic and social factors.

Through an interdisciplinary, contemporary training, cutting-edge research opportunities, practical engagements, internship collaborations with 20+ national and international organisations, mentorship from a global faculty and electives across nine schools of 91̽��, Sonipat, the three-year programme will train students to meet the environmental needs of the 21^st century.

It is a pathway for working in the global arenas of this complex, challenging and exciting discipline. Businesses, governments and organisations across the world are seeking ways to be more sustainable, energy efficient and climate-appropriate, and need experts in this area.

The Environmental Studies curriculum explores issues of the environment and sustainability through the perspectives of science, technology, policy, law, culture, politics, governance and economics, among others. You will learn how to understand and connect key factors to devise integrated solutions for the challenges of sustainable development.

This is a course for the present and the future—for our young heroes to win a fighting chance of saving our planet.

Whichever part of the world you are in, these unusual conditions are becoming a bit too usual. Climate change and the environmental crisis has far-reaching consequences across the planet. From erratic rainfall patterns to rising temperatures, storms to melting glaciers, pollution to soil erosion, deforestation to species extinction, and so much more—the effects are growing harsher by the day.

In fact, the conference, held on 12th March, was almost called off because of another looming crisis. Covid-19 was on the brink of a global outbreak. It was just a matter of days before the nationwide lockdown was announced in India, and cases started skyrocketing across the world. It was a surreal time. It still is, as the pandemic continues to disrupt lives and livelihoods the world over. To think that a group of environmentalists, lawyers, judges, policy makers, ministers, economists, academicians and students met on the threshold of an unprecedented disaster to discuss issues of the environment and sustainability was indeed extraordinary!

It is in the quest for solutions towards a sustainable future that 91̽�� announced the launch of its ninth and new school—Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability (JSES)—on that fateful day of the conference. Just before the hailstorm hit New Delhi, and just before the whole world was engulfed in an epic catastrophe. The coronavirus pandemic, the lockdown and its intriguing effects on pollution, rivers and wildlife have underlined the need to have a fresh look at the climate change and environmental crisis, adding a heavy burden on the academic world to address the issues through strong environmental studies programmes.

Here’s a look at some of the major environmental challenges of 2020 that call for immediate attention.

Climate Change

At the conference, visiting India for the first time, was Justice Matthew F. Cooper of the New York County Supreme Court. In New Delhi, he saw a reflection of his home, New York City—the problems, the population, even the landscape, with big green spaces like the Central Park comparable to the Lodhi Gardens, as he describes. “Growing up, there was one thing we were always comfortable with—NYC doesn’t get storms. In 2011, came Hurricane Irene, touted as the ‘storm of the century’. Surely this meant that it shouldn’t happen again in the next 100 years. But then came SuperStorm Sandy in 2012, and New York was brought to a halt,” recounts Justice Cooper. New York to New Delhi, environmental issues are becoming more glaring across the world. The higher education landscape across the world has to vamp up courses on environmental studies to produce skilled, knowledgeable persons to deal with the rising crises.

The climate predictions for the future are alarming. Entire cities may be submerged causing staggering tolls on economies that could lead to a full-blown humanitarian crisis with millions displaced from their homes; greenhouse gas emissions are continuing to rise and the oceans and lands are heating up like never before.

Everyone remembers the landmark Paris Agreement of 2015. It saw the largest group of nations coming together in a bid to keep rising temperatures below two degrees Celsius. Five years later, the progress is not reassuring. Not only is the ambitious goal going to fall through, but we can expect a rise of three degrees—if we don’t act fast.

Loss of biodiversity, deforestation & threat to wildlife 

Bushfires of never-before-seen proportions blazed through Australia from late 2019 to early 2020. Studies show that the fires claimed the lives of over one billion mammals, birds and reptiles. Protestors hit the streets speaking out against fossil fuels, as the fires were linked to climate change. Such rallies for the environment are growing more common across the world, as concerns continue to rise and action falls short.

On the opposite side of the planet, massive deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has been underway. As the ‘lungs of the planet’ take a severe blow, we are losing the ‘rainforests of the sea’, the coral reefs; global warming is melting polar ice-caps; wildlife and habitats are dying out or under extreme threat of extinction; and the loss of forests, which act as natural ‘carbon sinks’ that absorb carbon and keep it from spilling into the atmosphere or water bodies, are aggravating pollution. Which brings us to the next point of concern.

Pollution 

Be it air, water or land, pollution levels are rapidly rising. Interestingly, the Covid-19 pandemic brought some relief, and perhaps gives a head-start to leverage immediate climate action, but other than that, the global scenario has been bleak. Though only a handful of countries are successfully implementing steps towards being ‘carbon-negative’, most are not. With an overload of carbon in the atmosphere, the air is becoming hazardous in many parts of the world, even taking millions of lives. Burning of fossil fuels, industrial activities, waste, erosion, acid rain, etc. are stacking up the pollution charts.

Growing population & urban sprawl 

According to a United Nations report, human population is estimated to grow to a whopping 9.8 billion by the year 2050. The repercussions are almost unfathomable. The pressure of rising populations affects the use and exploitation of already dwindling natural resources like water, food and fuels. The needs will become unsustainable in the times to come, without alternative sources of energy or curbing population growth. This issue also links to the problem of urban sprawl—with movement of populations from high-density cities to more rural settings, which brings its own set of environmental concerns from further pollution to deforestation.

Business

Climate litigation is coming up in many countries with lawyers and laypeople challenging governments and corporations with climate change lawsuits. Businesses are a major source of environmental concerns, which raises an urgent need for green practices and sustainability. The fact of the matter is, development cannot be ceased. But at what cost does it come? There is a need to seriously overhaul many global practices and phenomena and pave the way towards a sustainable future. Top universities in India and across the world are being called on to offer serious training to bridge the gap.

JSES aims to work on holistic solutions for the 21st century

It is the heat of these burning environmental issues that led to the establishment of Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability. Its flagship programme, the three-year multidisciplinary B.A. (Hons.) in Environmental Studies is a way for young students passionate about the environment to jump right into dedicated training. 91̽�� is a popular choice among today’s students across disciplines as its interdisciplinary, global approach has earned the young university a rank among the best. The recent QS World University Rankings 2021 named JGU the best private university in India.

The environmental studies programme at JGU gives a well-rounded perspective, much needed for conceptualising and implementing integrated solutions. Dealing with issues of the environment are right up on the list of priorities as politics or economy. In fact, they must work in tandem. So, the environmental studies programme will develop an understanding of the economic, cultural and political factors of environmental and sustainability issues.

The voices of people fighting climate and environmental crises have been fierce yet few. Even though more people are making the case for climate action, with young leaders like Greta Thunberg and Timoci Naulusala to long-time activists Jane Goodall, Bill McKibben or Sunita Narain, and influential icons like Bill Gates, the world needs a lot more hands on deck. Lawyers to activists, researchers to conservationists, policy makers to economists—there is a need for more and more people to step up and contribute to the rising challenges.

Covid-19, a wake-up call?

Though a lot of controversy surrounds the origins of Covid-19, a major argument is that it has its roots in illegal wildlife trade. Something that perhaps only a small group of environmentalists and activists have been sounding out for a long time has now become the talk of every household.

In a way, the pandemic has been a wake-up call for the world. In a push-comes-to-shove kind of situation, we have been forced to reckon with the backlash of the problems humanity has spawned. Change of the magnitude that is needed to ‘save the world’ at this point needs the commitment of one and all! Will we, as a civilisation, wake up, and listen? Will we act?

We will remember this time for the rest of our lives. How we choose to move forward from this is critical. It’s time to bring the winds of change; it’s time to be the change. JSES is a platform for young people to battle the myriad environmental issues that plague the world.

In the days since Covid-19, we caught a glimpse of a cleaner, greener world. We have to learn and grow from this disaster. We must seize the opportunity and take big strides for the environment. A holistic training in environmental studies is a way for young generations to be a part of the solution to fix the planet we call home.

The pressure on students and higher education institutions is high. Schools and universities have been closed and exams postponed. Classrooms are going virtual and admissions for the upcoming academic year are fraught with confusion. According to UNESCO, over 320 million students in Indian schools and colleges are currently impacted.

The pandemic has pushed the world to drastically reinvent ways of coping with the ‘new normal’. After the initial phase of complete overhaul, it is critical to understand the short and long-term impact and future measures. Can India emerge from this crisis with a refreshed perspective and boost to higher education?

Online learning is here to stay

An immediate and effective response to the crisis was to go digital. Developing robust online platforms has become necessary to offer continuity in learning. Yet in a developing country like India with vast disparity in socio-economic backgrounds of students and the quality of educational institutions, the shift has not been easy. The digital divide has been further widening the gap, and needs urgent attention from both public and private sector players as the crisis continues. Good teachers, refreshed curricula and effective tools will ensure students stay involved and active in the learning process.

More Indian students will stay home in India

Lakhs of Indian students have increasingly chosen to pursue higher education abroad. As per reports, India is the second-largest source of international students in the world. This usual exodus is likely to transform—at least in the immediate few years—to an influx into Indian institutions, given travel restrictions and health risks.

This means that crores of rupees and resources spent in foreign education could potentially be retained in the country, as more students look towards options at home. While international institutions might bear the brunt of the change, it is a remarkable opportunity for India to enhance its capacities and offer quality education at par with global standards.

The effects of a shrinking global economy

The economy has taken a severe hit, and its ripples can be felt in the education sector as well. While many students will chart alternative paths, the pandemic is also leaving others in limbo. As unemployment is predicted to increase and the financial capacity of Indian homes comes under stress, the country can expect a drop in enrolments and challenges with tuition fees. Public institutions too, may be under threat of reduced funding. On the flipside, the pandemic could also prompt reform in fee structures and creation of more cost-effective programmes.

New trends in teaching & learning will emerge

Beyond the top band of institutional excellence with private universities setting best practices, Indian academia has been in need of transformation, long before the onset of the pandemic. There is an opportunity to rethink the traditional education system now.

Digital learning is leading the charge as a mainstay, and many new trends are picking up momentum across the globe. Multidisciplinary and modular pedagogy that afford transferable skills and customised learning will succeed. Post-pandemic times could see a blend of e-learning and mainstream face-to-face teaching with a boost from traditional universities and the ed-tech sector.

A call for greater global collaboration between students, academia & industry

Opportunities for student mobility and practical exposure through exchange programmes, internships, participation in conferences, and more could likely be off the table for some time. Innovative new forms of collaboration and alternative paradigms are needed to drive learning, research and teaching. Sharing of knowledge between institutions globally through joint-teaching, virtual guest lectures, etc. could give students an enriched global perspective in these difficult times.

Will educators rise to the challenge?

A paucity of contemporary teachers has been a pressing challenge already, and it is growing more serious. Faculty are being called upon to redesign course content to meet the current and future needs. Moving away from traditional pedagogies in most average institutions, the demand for quality educators will shape the way higher education moves forward from this crisis.