PECKING ORDER: Jadavpur University?s department of history has bagged a UGC pat and grant for research and teaching in environmental history

It is a subject that academicians feel has been neglected for long. But now, a University Grants Commission (UGC) recognition and grant to Jadavpur University?s department of history may change all that for environmental history.

The education body under the Central government has identified the department as a potential centre of excellence to pursue research and teaching in the environmental history of India for five years.

Under the special assistance programme of the UGC, the department has received Rs 40 lakh as financial aid for a departmental research support (DRS) status.

The next step is to earn a departmental special assistance recognition, before finally aiming for the Centre of Advanced Studies. ?It?s a first for any university in the country to be awarded a DRS and the grant with it in this area,? said Prof Ranjan Chakrabarti of Jadavpur University?s history department.

Eight projects on the subject are being undertaken this year as part of the programme, which will have faculty members engaging in fieldwork and research that will be later integrated into the syllabus.

Kicking off proceedings for the DRS programme is an international seminar on Situating History of Environment, to be held between March 3 and 5 on the campus, with renowned scholars attending from all over the world, including the US, UK and West Indies.

A panel discussion on City and Environment will also be held at Victoria Memorial on March 6.

But why environmental history? ?Environment studies is a more popular subject but it?s an inter-disciplinary domain,? explained Chakrabarti, who is coordinating the DRS programme. ?Initially, historians didn?t contribute to environmental history and India joined the worldwide concern for environmental history only in the 1980s,? he added.

The students and faculty are both set to benefit from the programme informed Chakrabarti, in the form of access to more computers and the Internet, participation in field trips and more books in the library.

The department is also seeking an additional grant of Rs 20 lakh from the UGC for hosting visiting scholars from other countries. They include experts like Richard Grove from the US, who will be part of the seminar and also remain attached to the department, teaching students for a week.