You feel strongly about climate change and water conservation and often wish that you could bring errant industries to task for harming our environment. You are part of clean air campaigns and never miss an opportunity to make our planet greener. Well, what’s stopping you from making your passion your profession? With awareness about environmental issues increasing today, a career in environmental science could just be the right option for you.

Environment as a subject encompasses the study of basic and applied sciences, socio-economics, ethics and law. It’s an interdisciplinary science which overlaps natural sciences, engineering and social sciences. “The study of environmental science has gained importance as it is crucial for our survival,” says Sudip Kumar Banerjee, founder of Calcutta University’s (CU) environmental science department and former chairman, West Bengal Pollution Control Board.

Environmental science became an active field of scientific investigation in the 1960s and 70s. It was driven by the need to have a large multidisciplinary team to analyse complex environmental problems. Two other factors responsible for its growth were the framing of substantive international laws on environmental investigation and growing public awareness.

In recent years, the demand for professionals with an interest in green issues has increased tremendously. And because conventional courses were unable to address rising environmental concerns, this subject gained importance as an academic field along with other related subjects. “Toxicology, ecological informatics and geographic information systems (GIS) are rapidly finding a place in universities today,” says Punarbasu Choudhury, lecturer at the department of environmental science, CU.

Research is one of the main attractions of this field. There is wide scope for research engagements at universities abroad.

Save Mother Earth

Almost 50 per cent of our masters students go for higher studies to reputed institutes abroad,” says Aniruddha Mukhopadhyay, head, department of environmental science, CU. In fact, students from other streams also choose to do specialised courses in this subject. Calcutta-based Bhaskar Das did his BTech and followed it up with a masters in water resources and hydraulic management. He is currently doing a PhD on arsenic contamination at the School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University.

Environmental science promises employment opportunities with agencies such as state pollution control boards, non-governmental organisations, environmental consulting agencies and companies with environmental monitoring facilities. At the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Delhi, students find work as research assistants, junior scientists and writers. “Fresh graduates get work as trainees. After an internship, they are absorbed in the organisation,” says Jagdeep Gupta, general manager, programme management and administration, CSE. Students can join research institutes as junior scientists and move on to become project leaders.

Environment science graduates can also work as teachers. Starting salaries range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 per month, depending on the job profile. College lecturers receive a starting package of Rs 10,000 per month. At CSE, starting salaries range from Rs 12,000 to Rs 18,000. At institutions like the Geological Survey of India, the starting salary is in the range of Rs 20,000 per month.

Needless to say, to be successful in this field, you need to have a personal commitment to environmental issues. Ipsita Mondal, an MSc student at CU, studied botany at the bachelors level and opted for an MSc in environmental science. “I am interested in researching the effect of pesticides on the environment,” she says.

Study options

Environmental science is offered at the graduate and postgraduate level at universities across India. For admission to the MSc course at CU, students need to complete BSc (honours) with chemistry and have a 55 per cent aggregate. Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi offers both MSc and MPhil courses. Kalyani University in West Bengal also offers an MSc course, open to graduates of physiology, microbiology, botany, physics, chemistry, geology and geography. Burdwan University, West Bengal, offers students a chance to do an MSc in either biotechnology or ecotoxicology. According to Apurba Ratan Ghosh, head of the department of environmental science at Burdwan University, an MPhil course is on the anvil. Students with a masters degree in environmental science, zoology, botany and chemistry are eligible to apply. Jadavpur University also offers an MPhil programme in the subject.

So if you’re ready to take on the role of an environmentalist and fight for your right to a clean environment, go for it.