Environmental education was mandated as a compulsory subject in all schools across the country by the Supreme Court of India in 1991 following the filing of a PIL (public interest litigation) by M.C. Mehta, India's leading environmental lawyer and recipient of the Magsaysay and Goldman awards.

In this regard, the Environmental Studies Programme at University of Calcutta focuses on worldwide environmental challenges.

Through interdisciplinary academic courses, internships, experiential, and co-curricular activities our students become passionate stewards of the environment, scholars in sustainability and environmental management, and experts in environmental studies. With a focus on environmental justice, students develop critical-thinking skills, analyse real-world problems, and understand the power of narrative to create sustainable solutions for local and global communities.

In December 18th, 2003, Environmental education was made compulsory in formal education in India through a Supreme Court ruling. India's first 21st-century education policy, the National Education Policy (NEP), was unveiled in 2020. The NEP is introduced with a perspective on Education for Sustainable Development.

• Year of Establishment: 1999 as Compulsory subject.
• Names of Programmes / Courses offered:
  • Semester-I: CVAC-I.I
    • ENVS0l: Fundamentals of Environment
    • Total Marks-50 (Credit -2)
    • (50 Theory: MCQ [1x10=10] + SAQ type [2x10=20]+LAQ type [5x4=20])
    • [Marks obtained in this course will be taken to calculate SGPA & CGPA]
  • Semester-II: CVAC-II.I
    • ENVS02: Environment Education
    • Total Marks-50 (Credit -2)
    • (50 Theory: MCQ [1x10=10] + SAQ type [2x10=20]+LAQ type [5x4=20])
    • [Marks obtained in this course will be taken to calculate SGPA & CGPA]
• Names of Interdisciplinary courses and the departments/units involved:
  All departments of Under Graduate curriculum including General courses.
• Semester/choice based credit system (programme wise):
  Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) for students admitted upto AY 2022-2023 for Semester-I and Curriculum and Credit Framework (CCF) system for students admitted 2023-2024 onwards for Semester I & II.
• Participation of the department in the courses offered by other departments:
  Students admitted under CCF system participate in CVAC-I.I & II.I course offered by all the departments during their first semester & second semester respectivly.
• Courses in collaboration with other universities, industries, foreign institutions, etc.: None.