Though existing regulatory requirements mandate the inclusion of environmental studies in school curriculum, there is a need to incorporate responsibility practices beyond a particular subject to make it a living practice, says an expert.
According to Ajith Sankar, professor at PSG Institute of Management (PSGIM) in Coimbatore, it is important to incorporate responsibility practices beyond a particular subject.
Citing the example of the education department of a state in India disallowing the sale of junk food within school premises, he says "This decision is laudable. The students should be served freshly prepared meals, which are made from locally sourced ingredients that nourish their body, mind and spirit.
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"Facilitating a student to choose, plant and nurture indigenous tree saplings help them to connect with the environment in a better way than forcing them to learn the definition of ecosystem by rote."
He also says that a short-term focus on environmental issues is emerging from a state of partial knowledge and one who has experienced the pain from a needless accident will be careful to create an entire life that is free of accidents, not just a day that is free of accidents.
His book "Environmental Management", published by Oxford University Press India, attempts to inculcate the need to understand the gravity of environment preservation, on a day-to-day basis while acquiring managerial knowledge at a post-graduate level.
It tries to create awareness about our fragile ecology and ecosystem as well as our rich biodiversity, and raises relevant environmental issues such as pollution, deforestation, global warming, and depletion of scarce natural resources.
Sankar feels that there is a need for creating a facilitating environment that leads to inspiring endeavours and just thinking that reactionary legal instruments alone can contribute to the well-being of the society would be immature.
