Challenge of the Balance: Certificate course on the Policies, Politics and Practices of Environmental Management in India. New Delhi, August 1- 30, 2013

[Sharmila Sinha]

“Development without concern for the environment can only be short-term development,” wrote Anil Agarwal, the founder of Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi. This is the philosophy on which Challenge of the Balance  is designed each year in the month of August.  This interdisciplinary course teaches youth the theory, policies and practices of environmental management in India, draws a lot of interest from youth of this country. It is open to young people with diverse educational background – at undergraduate level, or those doing their Masters, M. Phil, doctoral, post-doctoral studies. There is also a lot of interest for this course from young professionals working in non-governmental and not-for-profit organisations too.

For details please see: http://www.cseindia.org/node/1259

Course structure

I. Environment and development challenges of growth in India: In this section, students are introduced to rural governance that includes natural resource management, environment governance, and environment conflict.

II. Week long field trip to rural India: In the second section, students are taken on a field visit to experience first-hand the discussions that they heard in the classroom. The group will travel to Jodhpur, the gateway to Thar Desert.

III. Urban challenges of environment and development: In this section, students will learn about the developmental challenges of environment through lectures on urban water and waste management, how can vertical growth of buildings be more sustainable. They will also understand the issue of climate change. 

Field visit in Delhi: Participants will also move around in Delhi to see the traditional rain water harvesting structures and sacred grove, interact with villagers who have been maintaining it and fighting to keep it away from the growing city.

Participants will also see a large number of films.

Eminent speakers from various universities in Delhi, grassroot activists and CSE’s research team discuss and deliberate on each topic with examples from the vast experience they have gained from their research and field studies.

Magazine Assignment: The course will culminate with the participants documenting their travel and study. A magazine and a web documentary will be produced as the end of the term assignment documenting all that they have learnt in the month. This is also an exercise through which they will learn to write as a journalist and work as a team. They will choose an editor, copy editors, reporters, photographers, web designers, and print designers amongst within the class and worked to produce a magazine and web pages. Last winter they named the magazine Echo (http://www.cseindia.org/challenge_balance2012/index.htm)

Last summer’s was called Thread http://www.cseindia.org/userfiles/thread_magazine_aagc.pdf

Contact : Sharmila Sinha, Centre for Science and Environment, Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute. Email: [e-mail]/ [e-mail]   Tel: [phone]