WELCOME
UG SEMESTER-II STUDENTS,VIDHYA-BHAVANA
COMMON VALUE ADDED COURSE (CVAC)
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
PULAK KUMAR PATRA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, VISVA-BHARATI
pulakpatra@[Link]; 8250509598
Departments/ Major
• AIHC & A
• Comparative Religion
• Geography
• Economics
• History
• Philosophy
CVAC- Environmental Studies
Semester II 3 Credits, Full marks- 75
(Final- 60 + Internal- 15)
Unit 1: Introduction to Environmental Studies
Unit 2: Ecosystems
Unit 3: Natural Resources:
Unit 4: Biodiversity and Conservation
Unit 5: Environmental Pollution
Unit 6: Environmental Policies & Practices
Unit 7: Human Communities and the Environment
Semester Exam Question Pattern
• Question paper will be in both English & Bengali.
• Answers can be written in Bengali,English & Hindi.
• 20 MCQ 20 X 1 = 20 marks
• 5 Fill in the blanks 5 X 1 = 5 marks
• 5 Abbreviations 5 X 1 = 5 marks
• 5 Short Questions 5 x 2 = 10 marks
• 4 Long Questions 4 x 5 = 20 marks
• Total: 60 marks
INTERNAL EXAMINATION –
15 MCQ IN ENGLISH – 15 MARKS
Unit 1: Introduction to Environmental Studies
• Scope and importance
• Multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies
• Concept of sustainability and sustainable development
Learning Objectives
1. What is Environment and what are its components?
2. What is Environmental Crisis? (What are the basic
problems with our environment?)
3. What is the importance of Environmental Studies?
Why environmental awareness is needed?
4. Why Environmental Studies is called a
multidisciplinary subject?
5. What is sustainability? What is the meaning and
goals of sustainable development?
Environment & its components
Environment means our surroundings and it includes
both the physical and social environment. Our lives are
affected by our environmental conditions.
Lithosphere (geosphere), hydrosphere atmosphere and
biosphere are the major components of our environment
and together they make up the life-support system.
Environmental Crisis
We are depleting earth’s natural resources and
creating pollutions at an alarming rate, which
has created a crisis like situation.
Population growth, increasing affluence and
consumerism as well as poverty are the basic
causes of environmental problem.
Environmental awareness
Environmental awareness is needed to create a
sense of duty to care for and manage wisely
our natural and productive resources.
‘Environmental studies’ has been made
compulsory to inculcate the care for nature. It
is a lifelong process.
Multidisciplinary Environmental studies
‘Environmental studies’ is a truly multidisciplinary subject.
Students from any discipline can contribute to it.
Science stream: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geology
Mathematics, Statistics
Humanities: Geography, Economics, Sociology, Psychology,
Political Science, History, Philosophy, Literature
Fine Arts, Music, Media & Mass Communication
Agriculture, Engineering, Health Science
Law, Management
Sustainability & Sustainable Development
• Achieving sustainability, the environmental
goal, is a long-term process to maintain a
quality environment for future generations.
• SD is a development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs.
•A better environment – Green spaces, play areas,
no litter, gardens, fresh air, less noise and pollution.
The resources used should be available for future
generations.
•A better economy - Good jobs and pay,
reasonable prices, no unfair loans, taxes to help
governments fund things.
•Better social conditions – respect for others, good
places to have fun, community groups with sports
and arts, friendly neighbours.