Study biodiversity not only for research

The Times of India , Monday, June 01, 2015
Correspondent : Ananya Dutta
PUNE: For more than a decade, the Abasaheb Garware College has offered an MSc course in biodiversity with the department emerging as a centre for research in this field. The management recently introduced electives such as environmental impact assessment and environment and media that will enable students to gain expertise in non-research fields as well.

"We have implemented the choice-based credit system and introduced new subjects like 'environmental issues and media', 'environment impact assessment and policies' and 'geographic information system (GIS) and biodiversity' among other subjects," said Ankur Patwardhan, head of department of biodiversity at the Abasaheb Garware College.

The idea to start some of these courses emerged from discussions with students. For instance, many showed keen interest in making documentaries or photographing environmental issues. Some said they would like to do environment journalism. So, the idea of starting a course in environmental issues and media was conceived, said Medhavi Tadwalkar, a research project coordinator at the department.

The course in environmental impact assessment (EIA) and policies will help students become entrepreneurs. Every industry needs to carry out the EIA for getting environmental clearances for starting new projects. There are agencies that specialize in creating these reports. After taking the course, students can consider setting up an agency of their own, Tadwalkar added.

The department already has a strong research focus. The department of biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Department of Science & Technology (DST), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and National Geographic are some of the agencies that support the research carried out here, Tadwalkar added.

"The course is structured in a manner which allows students to have exposure to field-based research and laboratory-based work. While the practical subjects are compulsory, the students can exercise their choice by selecting some of the theory courses as electives," she said.

As per the data available on the department's website, the first two semesters are field-oriented and the latter two are lab-intensive. The first semester only has compulsory credit courses, but as the course progresses there are more and more options to pick elective courses. Ten credits for practical subjects remain compulsory in each semester.

In addition to ecology, plant and animal diversity, conservation biology and evolutionary biology, the course also gives wide exposure in subjects such as microbial diversity, molecular biology, genomics and bioinformatics, plant tissue culture, natural product chemistry and screening techniques, Tadwalkar said.

"Graduates in any science stream (including medicine and engineering) are eligible to apply for the courses as long as they have passed graduation with 50% marks. Applicants have to appear for an entrance examination that will be held on June 12 this year," she added.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Study-biodiversity-not-only-for-research/articleshow/47494643.cms
 


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