❖ About Us

About JNU ENVIS Resource Partner:

Information is a resource, which together with physical, economical, technical and human resource is a must for national development. Sustainable development, which has evolved as the goal for human welfare in recent times, is rooted in the availability of right information to the right person at the right place and at the right time. The need for information arises at all levels, from that of senior decision-makers, at the national and international levels to the grass roots and individual levels. Environmentally sound decisions, which are a must for achieving sustainable development, are not possible in an information vacuum. Environmental information is, therefore, of vital importance. Realizing the importance of environmental information, an Environmental Information System (ENVIS) has been established by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 1982 to provide information to decision-makers, policy- planners, scientists, etc. all over the country. Dissemination of information to the users is the most vital component in the whole system for providing the users satisfaction. ENVIS is a decentralised network information system consisting of focal point in the Ministry coordinating the activities of a chain of 35 subject specific centres, known as ENVIS resource partners located in various prestigious institutions/organizations all over the country. The purpose of the ENVIS Centre is to cater to the needs of the people who do not have access to highly equipped libraries and network systems.

Keeping in view the proposed information requirements, our ENVIS Resource Partner Centre on ‘Geodiversity & Impact on Environment’ (earlier known as thematic Centre on Biogeochemistry) was started in the year 1994 at School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi with the financial aid from the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government of India. As directed by Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Govt. of India, changed mandate under revamped ENVIS scheme (Letter No.: F.No.23/26/2017-EI).

The Centre is functioning as a resource partner (RP) in the Environmental Information System (ENVIS) network spread all over the country as ENVIS Hubs and RPs, with the focal point at the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), New Delhi. List of ENVIS Hubs and Resource Partners (RPs). In 2017 the new thought was emerged under the auspices of the experts of MoEF&CC to revise and change the theme of ENVIS throughout the country for a sustainable environmental planning. Following changed mandate/themes decided by MoEF&CC for JNU ENVIS centre has been evolved.

Mandates/Themes suggested by MoEF&CC for JNU ENVIS Resource Partner under revamped ENVIS scheme: ‘‘GEODIVERSITY AND IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT’’

• Geology & Geomorphology (Delhi NCR and Surroundings)
• Climate (Temperature/Rainfall, Relative Humidity/Wind pattern/Air Quality etc.)
• Hydrogeology (Groundwater, Surfacewater & Geochemistry)
• Topography, Soil and Land Use Pattern (Land Use Land Cover & Change detection)
• Disaster (Indian Himalayan Region, Indo-Gangatic Plain and Various Parts of India)
• Sensitive Area (Protected area, Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves etc.)
• Pollution (Air, Water, Noise, soil, and Industrial)
• Flora and Fauna (Endangered, Vulnerable, Rare, Medicinal etc.)

Objectives

• To support and promote research, development and innovation in Geodiversity research and impact/indicators on   environmental dynamics and to deliver    innovative Geo-spatial practices for the thematic areas in support of GRIDSS (Grid   based Decision Support System) and ENVIS portal.
• To make social contributions through organized environmental activities and events such as CESVP (Community-driven Environmentally Sustainable Village    Programme) to enhance environmental information processing and utilizing capabilities.
• Creation of Research and Geo-spatial Database for Environmental parameters and different themes (with key publications   from peer reviewed journals)
• To publish newsletters, monographs, bibliography pertaining to the thematic area i.e, Geodiversity (Geology/Geomorphology, Hydrogeology, Climate,   Topography, soil and land use pattern, Eco-Sensitive area, Pollution, Flora and Fauna etc.)
• To publish abstracts presented at Geodiversity and impact on environment related Conferences held at our Centre.
• To promote National and International co-operation and liaison for exchange of environment related information with invited talks, training programmes etc.

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ENVIS Team

• Prof. Paulraj Rajamani, Dean SES, JNU & Coordinator JNU ENVIS RP
• Dr. Kasturi Mukhopadhyay, Co-Coordinator JNU ENVIS RP
• Ms. Swati Singh, Programme Officer
• Ms. Sandhya Farswan, Information Officer
• Mr. Mohd Ajmal Khan, IT Officer
• Ms. Ruchika, Data Entry Operator

Experts in the ENVIS JNU Team:

School of Environmental Sciences JNU is enriched with the expertise of Ecology, Environmental Geology, Environmental Biology, Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Physics. With the expertise of diverse fields and knowledge following faculty members are providing their scientific contribution to give a shape to the theme of ENVIS:

1. Professor S. Mukherjee
2. Professor U.C. Kulshrestha
3. Professor K. Kumar
4. Professor K. Mukhopadhyay
5. Professor A.P. Dimri
6. Professor Dinesh Mohan
7. Professor S.C. Garkoti
8. Professor N.J. Raju
9. Professor P.K. Joshi
10. Professor Paul Raj R.
11. Professor J.K. Tripathi
12. Dr. Ilora Ghosh, Associate Professor
13. Dr. Usha Mina, Associate Professor
14. Dr. Sudesh Yadav, Associate Professor
15. Dr. Meenakshi Dua, Assistant Professor
16. Dr. A.K. Srivastava, Assistant Professor
17. Dr. R. Meena, Assistant Professor
18. Dr. A.K. Mishra, Assistant Professor
19. Dr. Ram Pravesh Kumar, Assistant Professor
20. Dr. Ashwani Kumar Tiwari, Assistant Professor

School of Environmental Sciences

The School of Environmental Sciences (SES) was established in the lush green premises of JNU in 1974. SES has Postgraduate and Doctoral degree programmes. The School has diversified yet integrated interests in various research areas of physical, atmospheric, earth, chemical and biological aspects of the environment. Besides working in different interdisciplinary approach to understand the Air, Water Soil and Biological system the School is trying to evolve techniques of Environmental conservation.

School of Environmental Sciences, JNU is pioneer in various aspects of Environmental aspects including Rainwater Harvesting and biodiversity conservation. The work was carried out in the University as well as replicated in other parts of Delhi also. These areas are in difficult terrain of Delhi where the use of Geospatial data, geological, geophysical, botanical, soil diversity parameters were monitored. In this tectonically and anthropologically active terrain the groundwater and surface water quality are deteriorating.

The new paradigm has been evolved to monitor and improve the water resources in the pilot project & one of the important mandates of ENVIS in three villages namely Ghoga, Singhola and Dhirpur (North Delhi/NCR), has been adopted by the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan Singh, a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from NCT of Delhi under CESVP programme (Community-driven Sustainable Village Programme) launched by MoEF&CC into process of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).