ABILITY ENHANCEMENT

COMPULSORY COURSE
Environment Science

Course: ENVS2AECC02

(Theory)

DEPARTMENT OF INTERDISICIPLINERY STUDIES

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 COURSE: ENVS2AECC2
ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE (THEORY)
Year end Examination: 100 marks
Note: The Examiner will set a total of nine (9) questions covering all topics/units of the prescribed course by setting at
least two questions from each unit. Out of the nine questions, one question containing ten (10) short-answer type
questions of two marks each that will cover entire course will compulsory. The candidate will attempt a total of five
questions (one from each unit) including the compulsory question. All questions will carry equal marks.

Unit 1
Introduction to environmental studies & Ecosystems: Multidisciplinary nature of environmental
studies: Scope and importance; what is an ecosystem? :Structure and function of ecosystem, Energy
flow in an ecosystem, food chains, food webs and ecological succession, Forest ecosystem,
Grassland ecosystem, Desert ecosystem, Aquatic ecosystems; Levels of biological diversity: genetic,
species and ecosystem diversity, Biogeographic zones of India, Biodiversity patterns and global
biodiversity hot spots, India as a mega-biodiversity nation, Endangered and endemic species of India,
Threats to biodiversity, Habitat loss, poaching of wildlife, man-wildlife conflicts, biological
invasions, Conservation of biodiversity, In-situ and Ex-situ conservation of biodiversity, Concept of
sustainability and sustainable development.
(20 Periods)
Unit 2
Natural Resources & its management and conservation: Land resources and landuse change: Land
degradation, soil erosion and desertification; Deforestation: Causes and impacts due to mining, dam
building on environment, forests, biodiversity and tribal populations; Water: Use and over-
exploitation of surface and ground water, floods, droughts, conflicts over water (international &
inter-state); Energy resources : Renewable and non renewable energy sources, use of alternate energy
sources, growing energy needs, case studies.
(15 Periods)
Unit 3
Environmental Pollution & Management: Environmental pollution: types, causes, effects and
controls; Air, water, soil and noise pollution, Solid waste management: Control measures of urban
and industrial waste. Climate change, global warming, ozone layer depletion, acid rain and impacts
on human communities and agriculture. Environment Laws: Environment Protection Act, Air
(Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, Water (Prevention and control of Pollution) Act, Wildlife
Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act; International agreements: Montreal and Kyoto protocols
and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); Nature reserves, tribal populations and rights, and
human wildlife conflicts in Indian context.
(15 Periods)

Unit 4
Environment & Social Issues: Human population growth: Impacts on environment, human health
and welfare; Resettlement and rehabilitation of project affected persons; case studies; Disaster
management: floods, earthquake, cyclones and landslides; Environmental movements: Chipko, Silent
valley, Bishnois of Rajasthan; Environmental ethics: Role of Indian and other religions and cultures
in environmental conservation; Environmental communication and public awareness, case studies
(10 Periods)

Suggested Readings:
1. Carson, R. 2002. Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
2. Gadgil, M., & Guha, R. 1993. This Fissured Land: An Ecological History of India. Univ. of
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 California Press.
3. Gleeson, B. and Low, N. (eds.) 1999. Global Ethics and Environment, London, Routledge.
4. Gleick, P. H. 1993. Water in Crisis. Pacific Institute for Studies in Dev., Environment &
Security. Stockholm Env. Institute, Oxford Univ. Press.
5. Groom, Martha J., Gary K. Meffe, and Carl Ronald Carroll. Principles of Conservation
Biology. Sunderland: Sinauer Associates, 2006.
6. Grumbine, R. Edward, and Pandit, M.K. 2013. Threats from India’s Himalaya dams. Science, 339:
36-37.
7. McCully, P. 1996. Rivers no more: the environmental effects of dams (pp. 29-64). Zed Books.
8. McNeill, John R. 2000. Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the
Twentieth Century.
9. Odum, E.P., Odum, H.T. & Andrews, J. 1971. Fundamentals of Ecology. Philadelphia: Saunders.
10. Pepper, I.L., Gerba, C.P. & Brusseau, M.L. 2011. Environmental and Pollution Science.
Academic Press.
11. Rao, M.N. & Datta, A.K. 1987. Waste Water Treatment. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd.
12. Raven, P.H., Hassenzahl, D.M. & Berg, L.R. 2012. Environment. 8th edition. John Wiley & Sons.
13. Rosencranz, A., Divan, S., & Noble, M. L. 2001. Environmental law and policy in India. Tripathi
1992.
14. Sengupta, R. 2003. Ecology and economics: An approach to sustainable development. OUP.
15. Singh, J.S., Singh, S.P. and Gupta, S.R. 2014. Ecology, Environmental Science and
Conservation. S. Chand Publishing, New Delhi.
16. Sodhi, N.S., Gibson, L. & Raven, P.H. (eds). 2013. Conservation Biology: Voices from the
Tropics. John Wiley & Sons.
17. Thapar, V. 1998. Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent.
18. Warren, C. E. 1971. Biology and Water Pollution Control. WB Saunders.
19. Wilson, E. O. 2006. The Creation: An appeal to save life on earth. New York: Norton.
20. World Commission on Environment and Development. 1987. Our Common Future. Oxford
University Press.

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GENERAL INSTRUCTION/GUIDELINES FOR EXCUTION OF CURRICULUM

 Ability Enhancement Compulsory Courses [AECC]: A total of 2 courses will be offered as Ability
Enhancement Compulsory Courses [AECC] with 4 X 2 = 8 credits for AECC.
 The AECC courses are the mandatory courses based upon the content that leads to knowledge
enhancement; i. Environment Science and ii. English/ Hindi/ MIL Communication. All these are
mandatory courses for obtaining a B.Sc. (Honors) degree in the concerned subject. These courses are
mandatory for all disciplines.
 Environment Science (Course: ENVS2AECC02 Theory) is mandatory course for all
disciplines.
 Set a total of nine (9) questions covering all topics/units of the prescribed course by setting at
least two questions from each unit. Out of the nine questions, one question containing ten (10)
short-answer type questions of two marks each that will cover entire course will compulsory.
The candidate will attempt a total of five questions (one from each unit) including the
compulsory question. All questions will carry equal marks.

 Classroom Attendance: 75% class attendance is compulsory for every student.