Aims and Objectives-Environmental Education

1.1 Definition, Scope and importance of Environmental Studies

Environmental Studies is a multidisciplinary subject. It employs subjects like chemistry, physics, botany, zoology, physiology, geography, geology, geophysics, and metrology to describe the biological and physical nature of our environment. In order to understand how people function separately and also in a group, Environmental Studies involves an understanding of philosophy, ethics, psychology, anthropology, demography, archaeology, economics and political science. Laid against an ecological format, the information gleaned through the study of all these varied disciplines gives us a holistic view of the environment for sustaining life on earth on an infinite time scale.
The unlimited exploitation of nature (environment) by mankind for the sake of development has threatened the survival of not just human beings but also all other living organisms. The number of living species has decreased, a large number are threatened, and many are even extinct. Human beings too, are suffering from various health problems. Today India is one of the top 10 industrialized countries in the world and the ever-increasing pollution levels in its environment are affecting all living organisms. People around the world are enjoying economic growth at the cost of ‘quality of human life’. So the need of the hour is to save our environment by following a suitable developmental policy. This necessitates the knowledge of our environment, its components and the different issues affecting the environment.
Education for environmental awareness is required not only for environmental scientists, engineers, policymakers or NGOs, but also for every one of us. Only environmental study can make us conscious and careful about the environment. Environmental education is aimed at developing environmental ethics in people. It teaches them the importance of conservation of life and biodiversity of the environment. Environmental study also teaches people to understand their role in the environment and learn to live with limited natural resources so as to avoid future disasters. The casual attitude of human beings towards the environment and its conservation is the root cause of all environmental problems.
Therefore, proper education and public awareness are necessary to tackle environmental problems. Towards this end, environmental studies will provide sufficient knowledge about the philosophy, genesis and consequences of local and global environmental problems and the necessary knowledge for their abatement and control. Thus, for a sustainable environment and for the survival of the present and future generations, environmental education is necessary.
Aims and Objectives • To work for protecting and promoting healthy natural environment through various action programmes and environment awareness creation among and education of the people. • To work for healthy, neat and clean cities and urban environments • To work for environment health of workers. • To work to prevent excessive exploitation of natural resources and energy sources. • To work for creation of new environment education programmes to sensitise the young generation about the importance of environment and environment protection and to incorporate environment sensitivity in the socialization process of the growing up individuals. • To work for the welfare and human development of the vast sections of Indian population who have not come to the modern levels of advancement socially, educationally and economically, by undertaking social, educational and economic empowerment activities, advocating and campaigning for policies to bring about social, educational and economic empowerment of all sections of society. • To work for widening science and technology among the rural, tribal and other disadvantaged sections of society. • To organize health and medical camps with a view to reaching health and medical care to the general masses, especially the disadvantaged sections of the Indian people like the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Socially and Educationally Backward Classes who are also referred to as Other Backward Classes, minorities, female-headed households, handicapped people, mentally challenged persons, destitute women and children. • To work for rehabilitation of victims of environment disasters. • To work to reach justice to all sections of society, especially the disadvantaged sections, namely, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Socially and Educationally Backward Classes, religious minorities, etc. • To work for equipping the general masses of Indian people with the modern technical and professional skills in the areas of communication and information technology. • To work for imparting occupational skills and upgrading skills of workers and professionals with a view to making all Indian people capable of competing for suitable employment opportunities at international level. • To work for rehabilitation of emigrant and displaced Indians; to study their social, cultural and economic issues and to work to get them rehabilitated back into the homeland. • To establish technical, professional and research institutions in the areas of environment protection, development of clean and renewable energy sources, imparting of modern professional and technical education in communication and information technology. • To carry out charitable activities to support the marginalized sections of the Indian society such as orphaned children, homeless people, mentally retarded and physically challenged people, people in need of emergency medical and financial help such as victims of accidents, people displaced from their native places and therefore lacks traditional family and community support system during the times of emergencies like occurrence of grave diseases, accidents, deaths etc.