DU School of Climate Change and Sustainability in the Works

DU will be setting up a School of Climate Change and Sustainability, which will take up research in priority areas related to environmental challenges.

The Delhi University (DU) will be setting up a School of Climate Change and Sustainability (DSCC&S) under the Institute of Eminence Scheme, which will take up research in priority areas related to the environmental challenges.

Professor C R Babu, an acclaimed Environmental Scientist, will head DSCC&S (honorary director). He has also been the founder of Environmental Teaching and Research at the University of Delhi, a statement from the varsity said. Professor Inderjit Singh, an eminent plant ecologist of international repute, will act as Joint Director, DSCC&CC.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development provided supporting grants to the varsity under its Institution of Eminence Scheme for undertaking research in cutting edge areas with a focus on the national development as well as to make the varsity a world-class university, the statement added.

“DSCC&S will take up research in priority areas like how to make our cities climate resilient? how to achieve sustainability in the face of environmental challenges?” the statement said.

The school will also generate the much-needed manpower in areas that manage sustainable developmental technologies in areas of energy, resource recycling, which include wastewater management and solid waste management and resource enhancement so that the development is sustainable.

Last year, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) on behalf of the Indian government had announced that with the growing need for more renewable energy in the country’s power mix, it will be setting up four research centres to spearhead India towards its target of adding 175 GW of renewable energy production by 2022, by harnessing state-of-art research-led innovative and cost-effective materials, technologies and processes for clean energy advancement in the country.

According to DST, the initiative has been linked both nationally and internationally through a Materials for Energy Conservation and Storage Platform (MECSP). The four centres developed under DST – MECSP on supercapacitors, batteries, and hydrogen will constitute of knowledge networks of more than 20 well-known institutions and 80 research personnel working on materials and next-generation devices in batteries, supercapacitors, solid-state hydrogen storage, and fuel cells.