Why is Environmental Studies Included in the UG Curriculum?

Environmental studies have become an integral part of undergraduate (UG) curricula in most colleges and universities due to the increasing environmental challenges facing the world today. According to the Global Climate Risk Index 2021, India ranks 7th globally in terms of climate risk, facing frequent challenges that include climate change, pollution, global warming, biodiversity loss, and deforestation. All these issues require urgent attention to achieve long-term solutions.

India has the highest percentage of youth population; thus, educating this young group is critical for a sustainable future. This blog will discuss the primary reasons why students need to study environmental studies in their undergraduate programs and outline the most important subjects covered in the syllabus. It will also highlight the benefits of such studies for UG students.  

What Is Environmental Studies?

Environmental studies are an interdisciplinary field that examines the complex interactions between humans and their environment. They encompass knowledge from various disciplines, including the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences. The primary objective of these programs is to understand, address, and analyze environmental issues while fostering sustainability. Therein lies the importance of environmental studies.

• Interdisciplinary Approach: Environmental studies draw from fields such as the following to offer students a complete understanding of environmental issues:

1. Ecology
2. Biology
3. Chemistry
4. Economics 
5. Sociology
6. Political Science 
7. Ethics 

• Focus on Interactions between Humans and Environment: The subject examines the impact of human activities on the environment and how environmental changes affect human societies.

• Orientation towards Solving Problems: The discipline aims to identify and analyze environmental challenges and develop solutions to address them. It also looks to foster a sense of responsible environmental management among the students and promote sustainability.

• Broader Scope Compared to Environmental Science: Environmental science focuses mainly on the scientific aspects related to the environment. However, environmental studies also integrate social, ethical, cultural, and policy-related dimensions into academic discourse.

Why Is It Part of the Undergraduate Curriculum?

Colleges and universities in India include environmental studies in the undergraduate curriculum for various important reasons. They want to educate students about the environment, the challenges it is facing, and its overall criticality. These studies aim to promote sustainable practices and foster a sense of responsibility regarding the environment among the students. The inclusion of environmental studies in the syllabus is one of the similarities between a B.A and B.Com program. The aim of such inclusion is to create citizens who are environmentally aware, capable of contributing to a sustainable future, and equipped to deal with various environmental issues.       

• Raising Awareness: Environmental studies courses help students understand the complex relationship between the environment and humans. This includes the impact that human activities have on the planet. Incidents such as natural disasters, rising global temperatures, water shortages, and species extinctions are happening more frequently now. As such, students must understand the consequences and causes of these issues. Environmental studies can educate students about the intricate balance of ecosystems and the results of excessive resource exploitation. Here, they also learn about the socio-economic effects of ecological degradation and the importance of sustainable development.

• Promoting Sustainability: In these programs, students learn about areas like resource management, biodiversity, and pollution. This is how they develop an understanding of sustainable practices. They also learn how they can apply these practices in their future careers and lives. For example, while promoting products, companies can plan around green advertising to make a meaningful impact.

• Encouraging Responsible Citizenship: Environmental education creates a sense of responsibility towards the environment. It also encourages students to take part in efforts to conserve and protect the environment. These are the core aspects of these programs. 

• Integrating Interdisciplinary Knowledge: Environmental studies draw on various disciplines, including science, humanities, and social sciences. They act as a bridge between these disciplines. This provides all the stakeholders with a complete understanding of environmental issues.

• Relevance to Contemporary Careers: The inclusion of environmental studies in UG curricula also shows how important green careers have become. Industries these days are focusing more on sustainability. Similarly, governments are also introducing stricter environmental rules and regulations.  

All these factors have added to the demand for environmentally knowledgeable professionals. Environmental studies are directly relevant in various careers, such as the following:

1. Environmental Consultancy
2. Corporate Sustainability Management
3. Regional and Urban Planning
4. Climate Change Research
5. Forest and Wildlife Management
6. Environmental Education and Journalism 

• National and Global Policy Mandates: Official mandates back the inclusion of these studies in UG programs in India. In 2003, the Supreme Court of India issued a directive whereby the University Grants Commission (UGC) made it compulsory for environmental studies courses to be included in all universities’ curricula. The move aimed to promote environmental education as a tool for national awareness and development. This also aligns with global trends like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN).

• Civic Engagement: This particular benefit of including environmental studies in UG programs is not as evident as the rest. However, it is just as valuable as they are. This subject teaches students about environmental policies and laws. It also imparts lessons on the responsibilities and rights that students have in this regard. When students possess such knowledge, there is a greater likelihood that they will engage in environmental activism.  They will also hold various institutions accountable for the ecological damage they have caused and take part in public discourse to a greater extent. Following are some examples of civic engagement that environmental education can inspire:

1. Participating in Clean-Up Campaigns and Tree Plantation Drives 
2. Helping Community Initiatives and Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
3. Supporting Sustainable Practices and Renewable Energy 
4. Employing Community Outreach and Social Media to Generate Awareness

• Addressing Environmental Justice: Underprivileged and marginalized communities are affected disproportionately by environmental degradation. People in rural and poor areas feel issues such as air pollution, loss of natural resources, and contaminated water more acutely. Environmental studies bring more attention to such inequalities and introduce the concept of environmental justice to students. In these programs, students understand how economic and social inequalities intersect with environmental challenges. This way, they develop a greater appreciation for the requirement for equitable and inclusive solutions. 

• Lifestyle Impact and Behavioral Change: The impact of environmental studies is not limited to academic knowledge. It also influences the choices that students make in their day-to-day lives and the way they behave regarding the environment. Studies have shown that environmental education can contribute to welcome behavioral alterations. This includes reducing water and energy consumption, practicing recycling and waste segregation, avoiding single-use plastics, and supporting environmentally friendly practices and products. When students start to incorporate sustainable habits into their lives, it also affects their families, workplaces, and communities.  

Environmental Studies Syllabus: What Do Students Learn?

For many students who ask why environmental education is important, the answer lies in the subjects that the discipline covers. Environmental studies focus on studying the intricate relationship between the environment and humans. The focus here is on understanding environmental issues and addressing them. In these programs, students learn about the natural environment, the ways to develop sustainable practices, and human impact. This includes topics such as ecosystems, biodiversity, pollution, environmental policy, and natural resources.

• Ecology and Ecosystems: The structure and function of ecosystems, such as interactions between living organisms and the environment     

• Natural Resources: The various kinds of natural resources and their importance, and sustainable management practices

• Pollution: Various types of pollution, including air, land, and water pollution, along with their effects, causes, and control measures

• Biodiversity: The criticality of biodiversity, threats that face it, and conservation strategies

• Environmental Issues: Assessing local and global environmental issues such as climate change, resource depletion, and deforestation

• Environmental Management and Policies: Environmental rules and regulations and management plans to deal with different environmental issues

• Sustainable Development: The notion of sustainable development and how to include it in various parts of life

• Human Impact: Effects of human activities on nature, and seeking options to reduce the impact

• Interdisciplinary Approach: Know-how from other disciplines like science, human sciences, and social sciences

• Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: Assessing environmental issues, judging information, and coming up with solutions

• Environmental Values and Ethics: Ethical duties that human beings have towards the environment – fostering a feeling of responsibility

• Practical Skills: Monitoring the environment, communication, and collecting data

• Fieldwork: Gaining experience from field visits to natural areas, environmental projects, and polluted sites  

How Environmental Studies Benefits Undergraduate Students

Environmental education in higher education offers students different benefits, such as fostering awareness, practical skills, and critical thinking. This, in turn, helps them be better placed to deal with the pressing environmental issues. The discipline provides students with the tools and knowledge to understand the effect of human activities on nature. It also fosters sustainable practices and gets them ready for successful careers in related domains. 

• Improved Environmental Literacy and Awareness: These programs help students understand the different issues that plague the environment and promote sustainable practices. It also teaches them to appreciate interconnectedness. Environmental studies offer a detailed understanding of different environmental issues such as pollution, resource depletion, climate change, and biodiversity loss. These courses also emphasize how interconnected natural systems are and the effect that human activities have on such systems. This in turn helps them develop a feeling of responsibility to the environment. 
• Development of Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Skills: In environmental studies courses, students learn how to analyze complex environmental issues, evaluate information, and develop the necessary solutions. Environmental studies encourage students to assess complex environmental challenges from different points of view by considering scientific, economic, social, and ethical factors. In these programs, students develop the capability to critically judge information from different sources, identify biases, and develop well-informed opinions. 
• Future Prospects and Career Opportunities: It provides them with diverse career paths, prepares them to make a difference, and land the best jobs in the growing green sector. By studying these programs, students get ready for diverse careers such as the following:

1. Environmental Consulting
2. Conservation
3. Sustainability
4. Environmental Policy
5. Research

• Personal Well-being and Growth: Through these courses, students develop a greater connection with nature, a sense of purpose, and civic engagement. Environmental education can help students grow a greater appreciation for nature and foster their well-being through outdoor learning and similar experiences. 

Conclusion

Every bachelor’s course and degree program at the three universities of the Online Manipal platform offers environmental studies programs. Although the universities do not provide the program as a standalone major, its presence in virtually all undergraduate programs underscores the urgent need for environmental studies in higher education. This is mainly in the context of sustainability. The programs may be enumerated as follows:

• Bachelor of Business Administration, Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) 
• Bachelor of Computer Applications, MUJ
• Bachelor of Commerce, MUJ
• Bachelor of Commerce (Professional), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) 
• Bachelor of Business Administration (Honors), MAHE 
• Bachelor of Arts, Sikkim Manipal University (SMU)
• Bachelor of Commerce, SMU 

FAQs

1. Why do we have to study Environmental Studies even if our degree is not science-related?

Students must study environmental studies even if their degree is not science-related, as it provides them with a broad understanding of environmental issues and the effects they have on society. 

2. How is Environmental Studies relevant to my career or daily life?

Environmental studies are immensely relevant to both daily life and career paths as they promote sustainability and resource management, and help people develop a greater understanding of their impact on the planet.

3. Is Environmental Studies a compulsory subject in all undergraduate courses in India?

Yes, environmental studies are a mandatory subject in every undergraduate course taught in India as per a UGC mandate following a 2003 directive by the Supreme Court of India. The directive focused on the importance of environmental education and awareness at every level of higher education.

4. What kind of topics or issues are covered in an Environmental Studies course?

Environmental studies cover a diverse array of topics related to the environment and how humans interact with it. This includes:

• Environmental Science
• Environmental Ethics
• Environmental Policy
• Environmental Law
• Environmental Education

5. Will Environmental Studies help me prepare for competitive exams or government jobs?

Yes, environmental studies can always help you prepare for government jobs and competitive exams as it is an important component in some of the most prominent exams in this regard.

6. Can Environmental Studies actually make a difference in solving real-world environmental problems?

Yes, environmental studies can indeed make a major difference in solving real-world environmental challenges. This is because it offers students the knowledge, ethical framework, and skills necessary to understand, address, and analyze said challenges.

Reference:

1. https://www.germanwatch.org/en/19777