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Bhubaneswar: In a bid to create awareness among the students regarding preservation of the environment for future generations, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked educational institutes to introduce Environmental Science (EVS) subject in all the undergraduate courses from the next academic year, 2019-20.
Earlier, as per the directions of the Supreme Court, the UGC had instructed all the universities to include EVS in one semester, but, in a fresh notification issued on May 14, the commission has asked all the universities to compulsorily include a six-month module syllabus on EVS.
“The UGC had earlier passed instructions through numerous letters to all the universities to compulsorily implement a six-month core module syllabus on Environmental Science for undergraduate courses in all branches of higher education and also to create awareness among the students for preservation of environment which will go a long way for providing safe and healthy atmosphere for future generations,” the UGC stated in a letter.
You are once again requested to kindly ensure the implementation of EVS for UG courses in affiliated colleges/institutes in case not implemented so far, the letter read.
For this, the UGC has also recommended an elaborate module syllabus with seven theory units and one practical unit, which includes topics like ecosystem, biodiversity, deforestation etc.
“Be it the gradual depletion of biodiversity or natural disasters like Fani, which left a trail of destruction in Odisha recently, the students should be taught more about the subject so that they can become aware and spread the message in society,” said environmentalist, Jaykrushna Panigrahi.
Though the UGC had earlier issued guidelines to implement EVS in the curriculum, many educational institutions in Odisha are yet to include it in their undergraduate courses raising concerns among stakeholders and environmentalists.
“The subject will make the future generations aware about the environment and help to take steps so that climate change can be tackled. Therefore, like Utkal University, EVS should be included in the curriculum of other educational institutions too,” advised Professor of Utkal University, Santosh Tripathy.
