Environment Science

ICMR- NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Invites entries for Poster contest on the occasion of WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2023

“World Environment Day” is observed to spread awareness about the various environmental issues andchallenges affecting the environment and the living beings. Conservation of environment is of utmostimportance to maintain the balance of the ecosystem, which all the components of the environmentdepend upon. Plastic waste reduction is one of the major challenges faced by LMICs, including India. Betterwaste management practices involving public participation can solve the issues associated with plasticwaste.On this background, ICMR-NIREH is conducting a Poster contest as a part of World Environment Day,2023 celebration, to raise awareness on Plastic Waste Reduction. Interested participants must registeronline using the given link. Registration will be open from May 1stto May 31st, 2023. No entries will beconsidered without prior registration. All registered participants should be present in person with theirposter (hard copy) relevant to the given theme for display at ICMR-NIREH, Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Rd,Bhauri on 5thJune, 2023 at 1:30 pm. Judgment and prize distribution will be done at ICMR-NIREH on thesame day.
Theme: “Solution to Plastic Pollution” 
Other detials may be checked in the link given below
https://nireh.icmr.org.in/Upload/ICMR_NIREH%20Poster%20Contest.pdf  

Enviro Ideation Hackathon E Enviro Ideation Hackathon

Enviro Ideation Hackathon by HP State Pollution Control Board on World Environment Day 2023. Kindly check the attached poster and link given for more details 
https://hppcbhackathon.in/

National Wildlife Week Celebrations 2023

Onthe occasion of the 69^th National Wildlife Week celebrations theDepartment of Zoology and Department of Environment Science of VallabhGovernment College organized a poster making and collage making competition onthem Wildlife conservation and Animal Diversity. 

International Conference on Emerging Issues of Biodiversity and Environment for Sustainable Development

The Department of Zoology and Environment Science of Vallabh Government College Mandi organized anInternational Conference on “Emerging issues in Biodiversity and Environment for Sustainable Development” on 14^th and 15^th February 2024. This conference covered importantissues on variousaspects of biodiversity conservation and environment protection in meeting theobjectives of sustainable development. Sh. Krishan Vaidya, Additional Director(Retired), Department of Higher Education, GoHP graced the inaugural functionof the event as our esteemed Chief Guest. Theorganizing committee of the conference, Dr. Monika Panchani (Convenor) , Dr. Sanjay Kumar Narang and Dr. RadhikaJamwal (Co- Convenors), Dr. Balbir Singh and Dr. Manoj Thakur (Organizing Secretary), Ms. Aditi Sharma, and Ms. JyotiThakur, (Joint Organizing Secretary) released the abstract book Souvenir of theconference during the event.

Dr. M. C. Sidhu, Professor,Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh delivered his keynoteaddress on “Understanding the Complexity of biodiversity and its conservationstrategies”  where he provided thedetailed info on biodiversity conservation and also the challenges being facedin biodiversity conservation. Dr. Shashikant Bhatia, Associate Professor, Konkuk University, South Korea delivereda detailed talk on “Microbesfor a sustainable future” and their application in various fields. Dr. Gitika Thakur, Post DoctoralResearch Associate, University of Illinois, Rockford, USA talkedabout “The potential of stem cells for regenerative medicine: From pancreaticislets to motor neurons”.

During the two days event atotal number of 160 academicians/professor, researchers and students from HimachalPradesh, other states and even abroad presented their research work in the formof research papers and posters. A total no of 66 research papers were presentedoffline, 78 online and 16 poster presentations were there. Besides the collegesand universities located in Himachal Pradesh, research papers were presentedfrom NIT and IIT, Panjab University, BHU, GHNB University Gharwal, PatnaUniversity, Chandigarh University, Sher-e-Kashmir University of AgriculturalSciences and Technology of Kashmir, Kurukshetra University, Ch. Charan SinghUniversity, Meerut,  Konkuk UniversitySeoul, South Korea , Manitoba Real Estate Association Canada, University ofIllinois, USA.

The valedictory function ofthe event was graced by Prof. Lalit Kumar Awasthi, Director, NIT Uttarakhand asChief Guest of the event.Duringthe valedictory function of the conference, Dr. Vinod Kumar Mattu , ProfessorEmeritus UGC, Ex Chairman, Department of Biosciences,  HPU provided deep insights about “Biodiversity,environment & sustainable development: a way forward for self reliant India”. Prof. Tulika P Srivastava, School of Biosciences andBioengineering, IIT Mandi  talked aboutan important alternate energy source that is biogas. She gave a detailedpresentation on Optimizing Biogas Generation: Unleashing Prokaryotic Potentialin Synthetic Microbial Consortia from Environmental Organic Reservoirs. Dr. Harinder Banyal, Chairperson,Biosciences Department. H.P. University, Shimla focused his talk on “Emerging issues related to aquatic faunal diversityin Himachal Pradesh region of northwestern Himalayas with special focus onsustainable development” that cater to sustainable development goal number 14“Life below water”. Dr. Pawan Rana, Scientist& Head, Forest Protection Division, Himalayan Forest Research Institute , Shimla,Himachal Pradesh  delivered a detailedtalk on “Challenges of threats of insect pest attacks in Himalayan forests:ecofriendly mitigation strategy”.

The two days conference provided a common platform to disseminate knowledge on important aspects of biodiversityand environment conservation for sustainable development not only foracademician and researchers but also provided a platform for students toprovide then exposure and scientific outreach.

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Workshop on "Higher education option and career prospects in the field of Environment Science/Studies"

A workshop on "Higher education option and career prospects in the field of Environment Science/Studies" was organised by the Department of Environment Science under the banner of Career counselling and Placement Cell of Vallabh Government College, Mandi on 3^rd Sept, 2024 in the Examination Hall. The students were briefed about various higher education options in EnvironmentScience/Studies at UG/PG level as well as specialized certificate and diplomaprogramme available to strengthen the profile of working professionals and students . They were also educated about the career prospects available in thefield of Environment Science/Studies in various sectors like Government,Private, Industry, International organizations, NGOs etc. The positions like Environment Consultant, Environment Scientist, Conservationist, Environment Health and Safety Specialist, Environment Officer/Engineer, Solid Waste/Water Resources/Climate change specialist, Education Sector, Environment Policy analyst etc,  their job roles, sectors and average salaries were briefed to students in detail. Around 300 students participated in the workshop.

World Ozone Day Celebration – 18 September 2024

The Mendeleev Chemistry Club, with participation ofthe Department of Environment Science,organized an event on 18th September2024 (as 16^th September was holiday) to commemorate World Ozone Day. The programme aimedto raise awareness among students about the importance of the ozone layer, the causes of its depletion, and themeasures essential for its protection and conservation. The event wasgraced by Dr. Ravinder Kumar, VicePrincipal, VGC Mandi, who attended as the Chief Guest.

As part of the departmental activity, Dr. Manoj Thakur, Assistant Professor,Department of Environment Science, delivered an insightful talk and presentation on "StratosphericOzone, Its Depletion and Impacts". The session helped studentsunderstand global environmental concerns associated with ozone depletion andthe urgent need for collective action. In addition to the expert lecture,students enthusiastically participated in declamation, poster-making, and rangoli competitions, showcasingtheir creativity and awareness on environmental themes. About 180 students participated in the event. The Chief Guestawarded certificates to the winners of various competitions and appreciated theefforts of the organizing team and the Department of Environment Science forspreading environmental awareness.

Student Seminar Series on Environment Sciences (February–March 2025)

The Department of EnvironmentScience, Vallabh Government College Mandi, conducted a Student Seminar Series during the months of February and March 2025. The objective of the activitywas to enhance students’ academic engagement, strengthen their subjectknowledge, and improve their presentation and communication skills. Studentswere allowed to choose a topic of their interest from the field of EnvironmentScience. They prepared detailed presentations and delivered them in a classroomenvironment. Each student was allotted 8–10 minutesfor the presentation followed by 5 minutesfor questions, discussion, and feedback.

The seminar series provided students with anopportunity to gain confidence, face an audience, and articulate theirunderstanding of key environmental issues. It also created an interactivelearning atmosphere where students could exchange ideas and clarify concepts. Atotal of around 150 students participated inthe seminar activity. The Department considers this interaction-rich exercisehighly beneficial for developing academic skills and encouraging activelearning among students.