Some of the major institutions of environment studies in India are given below :
Among the large number of institutions that deal with environmental protection and conservation, a few well-known organization include government organizations are listed below :
1. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai:
It was founded on 15 September, 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research.
It supports many research efforts through grants, and publishes a popular magazine called the Hornbill and also an internationally well-known the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. Its other publications include Salim Ali’s Handbook on Birds, JC Daniel Book of Indian reptiles. SH Prater’s book of Indian mammals and PV Bole’s book of Indian trees.
Many prominent naturalists, including the ornithologists Salim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley have been associated with it. The BNHS has over the years helped the government to frame wildlife-related laws and has taken up battles such as the ‘save the silent valley’s campaign’.
2. World Wide fund for nature-India (WWF-1), New Delhi:
The WWF-1 was initiated in 1969 in Mumbai, after which the head quarters were shifted to Delhi with several states. Divisional and Project offices spread across India. In the early years it focused attention on wildlife education and awareness. It runs several programs, including the nature clubs of India program for school children and works as a think-tank and lobby force for environmental and development issues.
3. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi:
Is a public interest research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi? CSE researches into, lobbies for and communicates the urgency of development that is both sustainable and equitable. It has published a major document on the State of India’s Environment, the first of its kind to be produced as a citizen’s report on the environment.
It also publishes a popular magazine; ‘Down to Earth’ which is a science and environment fortnightly. It is involved in the publication of material in the form of books posters, video films and also conducts workshops and seminars on biodiversity-related issues.
4. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi:
Is a public interest research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi. CSE researches into, lobbies for and communicates the urgency of development that is both sustainable and equitable. It has published a major document on the State of India’s Environment, the first of its kind to be produced as a citizen’s report on the environment.
It also publishes a popular magazine; i ‘Down to Earth’ which is a science and environment fortnightly. It is involved in the publication of material in the form of books posters, video films and also conducts workshops and seminars on biodiversity-related issues. The) Centre’s efforts are built around five broad programmes: Communication for Awareness, Research and Advocacy, Education and Training, Knowledge Portal and Pollution Monitoring.
C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre, Madras: the CPR-EEC was set up in 1988 (PR-EEC) is a Centre of Excellence of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India, established jointly by the Ministry and the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation.
It conducts a variety of programs to increase awareness and knowledge of public i.e., school children, local communities, woman as main key target groups about the various aspects of environment. Its programs include components on wildlife and biodiversity issues.
CPR-EEC also publishes large number of text books for school children and video-on wheels for rural public. The C. P. R. Environmental Education Centre received the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar for the year 1996.
5. The Centre for Environment Education (CEE):
The Centre for Environment Education (CEE) in India was established in August 1984 as a Centre of Excellence supported by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The organisation works towards developing programmes and materials to increase awareness about the environment and sustainable development.
The head office is located in Ahmedabad. The Centre has 41 offices including regional cells and several field offices, across India. It has international offices in Australia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. CEE’s primary objective is to improve public awareness and understanding of the environment with a view to promoting the conservation and sustainable use of nature and natural resources, leading to a better environment and a better quality of life.
To this end, it undertakes demonstration projects in education, communication and development that endorse attitudes, strategies and technologies which are environmentally sustainable. CEE is committed to ensuring that due recognition is given to the role of education in the promotion of sustainable development.
6. Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Institute of Environment Education and Research, Pune:
Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Institute of Environment Education & Research, Pune was established in 1993. This is part of the Bharati Vidyapeeth deemed University. Its major focus is to spread the message of the need for pro-environmental action in society at large through a dual strategy of formal and non-formal integrated activities.
BVIEER is a one of a kind institution that caters to the need of Environment Education at all levels (PhD, M.Sc. and Diploma). The distinctive characteristics of BVIEER are its wide mandate of teaching and research. It implements a large outreach program that has covered over 435 schools in which it trains teachers and conduct fortnightly environment education programs. Biodiversity conservation is a major focus of its research initiatives.
7. The Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON):
It is an autonomous organization with headquarters at Coimbattore. It is a national centre for information, education and research in ornithology and natural history in India. This institution was Dr. Salim Ali’s dream, which became a reality only after his demise and was named in honor of Salim Ali, the leading pioneer of ornithology in India. Its mission is “To help conserve India’s biodiversity and its sustainable use through research, education and peoples’ participation, with birds at the centre stage”.
8. Wild life Institute of India (WII), Dehradhun:
Is an autonomous institution of MoEF, GOI, established in 1982? It is an internationally acclaimed institution, which offers training program, academic courses and advisory in wildlife research and management. The Institute is actively engaged in research across the country on biodiversity related issues.
Its most significant publication has been ‘Planning wild life and protected area network for India (Rodgers and Pan-war, 1988). It has environment impact assessment cell. It trains personnel in eco-development, wildlife biology, habitat management and nature interpretation.
9. Zoological Survey of India (ZSI):
Is a premier organisation in zoological research and studies? The activities of the ZSI are coordinated by the Conservation and Survey Division in the MoEF, GOI. This is the only taxonomic organization in the country involved in the study of all kinds of animals from Protozoa to Mammalia, occurring in all possible habitats from deepest depth of the ocean to the peaks of Himalaya.
It was established on 1st July, 1916 to promote survey, exploration and research leading to the advancement in our knowledge of the various aspects of the exceptionally rich animal life. It has over the years collected type specimens on the basis of which our animal’s life has been studied over the years. Today, it has over a million specimens. This makes it one of the largest collections in Asia. It is currently operated from 16 regional centers.
10. The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust (MCBT):
MCBT, the first crocodile conservation breeding in Asia, was founded in 1976 to conserve Indian crocodilians and establish program for the conservation and propagation of other species of endangered reptiles. Over years, over 1500 crocodiles and several hundred eggs have been supplied to various state forest, departments for restocking programmes in the wild, and for setting up breeding facilities in other state in India and neighboring countries.
It is the one which started the first sea turtle surveys and conservation program in India, including a sea turtle hatchery. It is involved in environmental education programs for the villages and schools that include nature camps, training workshop for teachers and youth.
11. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Environmental Team (ANET):
A division of the MCBT was constituted in 1992. A base was set up by Harry Andrews in south Andaman for herpetological and other ecological studies in these islands. The Crocodile bank is the site of the irula Snake catchers’ cooperative society, which is an adivasi self-help project and supplies all of India’s snake and scorpion venom needed for the production of anti-venom and for medical use. MCBT personal also initiated the Irula Tribual Women’s welfare society, which is primarily a society for reforestation of wastelands and income generation projects for irula women.
12. Uttarkhand Seva Nidhi (USKN), Almora:
It is a public charitable trust founded in 1967. This organization was appointed as a nodal agency in 1987 by the Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development, and Government of India to undertake locale-specific environmental education programmes both in rural schools and villages in the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh, now Uttaranchal.
Subsequently, a research and resource centre, the Uttarakhand Environmental Education Centre (UEEC), was set up in 1993, also with support from the Department of Education. As activities continued to increase, a separate organisation, the Uttarakhand Seva Nidhi Paryavaran Shiksha Sansthan (USNPSS), a registered society, was set up in 1999 to handle all the environmental activities of the Nidhi.
As Uttaranchal is a fragile ecological zone where, human activities can cause extensive land degradation if not carried out in an environmentally-sound manner. The organization conducts education, training and on the spot problem solving programmes with the aim of helping people to understand their surroundings from a broad ecological point of view and encourage them to organise themselves to deal with environmental problems that affect their daily lives, and to provide training in technical know-how and practical skills. Its main target is sustainable resource use at the village level through training school children. Its environment education program covers about 500 schools.
This NGO, initially Delhi-based, is now working from pune and is active in several other parts of India. Kalpavriksh worked on a variety of fronts: education and awareness; investigation and research; direct action and lobbying, and litigation with regard to environment and development issues.
Its activities include talks and audio-visuals in schools and colleges, nature walks and outstation camp, organizing student participation in ongoing campaigns including street demonstrations, pushing form consumer awareness regarding organic food, press statements, handling green alerts, and meeting with city administrators.
Kalpavriksh was among those responsible for developing India’s National Biodiversity Strategy and action plan in 2003. The Botanical Survey of India (BSI): is an institution set up by the Government of India in 1887 to survey the plant resources of the Indian empire.
The Botanical Survey was formally instituted on 13 February, 1890 under the direction of Sir George King, who had been superintendent of Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta since 1871. King became the first ex-officio Director of BSI.
Presently, it has nine regional centres. It carries out surveys of plant resources in different regions. It monitors botanical resources by analyzing their occurrence, distribution, ecology, economic utility, conservation, environment impact, etc.