Introduction

The Department of Environmental Sciences was established in 1995 as a center within the Department of Bio-Sciences. Following the trifurcation of the latter, a distinct department was created in September 1998 within the Faculty of Life Sciences of the University of Jammu. At present, the Department has three permanent teaching faculty members. The Department offers M.Sc. and Ph.D. degree programs in Environmental Sciences. The curriculum for each program is meticulously designed to reinforce the fundamental principles of environmental sciences and to cultivate a scientific understanding of various environmental issues on local, regional, national, and global scales. The Department's research thrust areas include aquatic and terrestrial ecology, wetland ecosystem management, environmental pollution monitoring, bioremediation, hydrochemistry, metal contamination in urban soils and sediments, atmospheric aerosol geochemistry, etc. The department's alumni have secured positions in higher education institutes, research institutes, civil services, NGOs, policy institutes,  armed forces, etc.The department offers 8 seats sponsored by NGOs. These seats are offered to the students who have worked with reputed Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) towards environmental conservation and related issues. For more information on NGO category and self finance seats click here.

The Department leads numerous green initiatives within the University and conducts outreach programs on regular basis to raise awareness of environmental issues in the broader community. The Department actively promotes waste recycling and adheres to a "waste to resource" philosophy. To accomplish this, the Department has recently developed a sculpture of a Sambhar (Stag) from metal scrap collected from the University premises. Additionally, a biocomposter has been installed to convert food and other organic waste into organic manure, which is subsequently used in the University gardens. A green vertical wall has been established on the front facade of the Department, offering ecological benefits and attracting numerous visitors. Rainwater harvesting structures have been constructed to ensure the maximum capture of rainwater for groundwater recharge. Furthermore, to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality, solar panels have been installed on the Department's rooftop.