VISION
The Department of Environmental Sciences, with its focus on Natural Resource Management, Biodiversity and its Conservation, Rock-Water Interactions, Bio-Energy, Atmospheric Science, and Remote Sensing and GIS, has a very strong perception of developing knowledge, skill and technologies to understand the changing environment and associated challenges like climate change, over- and misuse of natural resources, increasing pollution levels, etc. This is aimed at producing skilled professionals in the discipline who are capable of stepping in academics, research and industry. The Department intends to lead environmental sciences and engineering education and research with a wish to create, integrate and transform fundamental understanding of environmental sciences and use it to help providing safe and clean energy, air, water, and land.
The vision of the Department for the next ten years is:
A. TEACHING:
- Developing interactive learner-oriented than teacher-oriented teaching methodologies
- Regular revision of course curricula for keeping pace with expanding knowledge to meet the national and global challenges in environmental sciences education, and to produce trained professionals who are equipped to deal with scientific, technological, legal, socio-economic and policy aspects related to environment and resource management
- Strengthening of hands-on-training of students by developing new practical modules (Hands-on-training)
- Provision for students’ training in established industrial houses for skill development. (Skill Development through Public-Private Partnership)
- Imparting vocational training in job-oriented areas for Livelihood Security, Women Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Development)such such as:
a) Environmental Management
b) Applications of Remote Sensing and GIS
c) Aquarium Management
d) Bio-compositing, Bio-energy and Bio-fuels
e) Fish Processing and Product Development
f) to women for empowering women to be self-reliant
B. RESEARCH:
- Developing Weather Forecasting Models for prediction of general and extreme weather conditions and develop warning signals through the application of remote sensing and GIS techniques
- Developing/refining low-cost, environment-friendly technologies for production of bio-energy including
a. Biodiesel from algae or other suitable bioresources (biomass production rates of algae are very high; they not only provide third generation biofuels but also capture carbon dioxide, thereby fighting climate change)
b. Bio-ethanol from agricultural wastes and by-products
- Developing biosensors and other nanotechnology/biotechnology/ bioinformatics technologies for efficient pollution control and other environment management uses
- Documentation of biodiversity and identification of biotic components useful for environment management
- Developing strategies for conservation of endangered plants and animals of India in general and Jammu and Kashmir in particular through genetic and habitat management strategies
C. OUTREACH ACTIVITY
- Establishing/strengthening of linkages with industry (for public-private partnership), national and international educational/research institutions for upgradation of course curricula, research and teaching methodologies and exchange of faculty and students
- Commercializing the technologies developed by the Department
- Strengthening of technology transfer mechanisms through training programmes, demonstrations, field days, campaigns, exhibitions, extension bulletins, magazines, awareness programmes, workshops, seminars, etc
Mission
- To generate, harness and effectively disseminate fundamental knowledge, and to integrate the use of newer technologies for addressing global and region-specific problems about our planet, its resources and the environmental mechanisms for educating students, policy makers and other stake holders
- To conduct interdisciplinary research for understanding the processes that model our environment
- To assess and improve the quality of soil, air, water, and life with regional, national and international perspectives
- To create awareness amongst the masses for comprehending and mitigating the environmental problems