Delhi University(DU) students will now have to study a compulsory course in Environmental Studies in the first or second semester for their undergraduate course as mandated by University Grants Commission(UGC). The course is being introduced from the current academic session.

“The course shall be taken up by a student either in the first or second semester of his or her study as a qualifying course for 100 marks as per the scheme notified for the three-year undergraduate programme”, according to PTI. “The evaluation for the course will be undertaken by the respective colleges who will later send the evaluated marks to the examination branch through the existing mechanism,” Dean of Examinations, Professor Rup Lal stated in a circular to the principals.

The course for now will be available in English but efforts are on to introduce it in Hindi in upcoming sessions, told M.K Pandit, a professor in DU’s Environmental Science department.   Earlier in 2004, directives were issued by UGC to colleges and universities which were in accordance with the Supreme Court’s order for starting a six-month mandatory course of environmental sciences.

The implementation of the course was however delayed because of infrastructural upgrade and curriculum upgrade, university officials said. “The course will not be completely theoretical but will include 25 per cent weightage for field work. Students will be taught through lectures, seminars, video presentations, field visits, excursions, project work, report writing and presentations,” said Pandit.