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Area III-research

Area III-research

 

AREA III (Environmental Chemistry) explores the influence of chemicals on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere, and their repercussions on both the environment and human well-being. Environmental chemists frequently find themselves in a more visible role, as their research plays a crucial part in shaping decisions that impact the entire population. This interdisciplinary Area III resides at the intersection of key scientific disciplines, with a central focus on air, water and soil. In 2015, all UN member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a 15-year plan aimed at achieving its goals. Many of these goals align with the research activities of Area III, especially Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation; Goal 13: Climate Action; and Goal 2: Zero Hunger. Several others are also interconnected, including Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being, Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy and Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities. AREA III research endeavors are actively contributing to various national programs including Namami Gange, Make in India, Swastha Bharat, Skill India, Smart Cities, Unnat Bharat, AatmaNirbhar Bharat, and Swachh Bharat.

 

 

Currently, there are ongoing efforts to study and research the monitoring, assessment, and modeling of emerging (organic and inorganic) contaminants in various environments including groundwater, surface water (lakes, rivers, wetlands, reservoirs, and streams), industrial effluents, wastewater treatment plants (influents and effluents), as well as soils and sludges. The central focus of this domain revolves around the development of sustainable technologies for remediating aquatic contaminants, including arsenic, fluoride, nitrate, pesticides, oils, pharmaceuticals, oxyanion species, Per-/Polyfluoro Alkyl Substances (PFAS) “Forever” Chemicals, and microplastics. Additionally, it explores sustainable methods, such as employing biochar to immobilize contaminants in soil, enhance soil fertility (food security), and contribute to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration. Continual research encompasses a diverse range of studies pertaining to the utilization of biochar-based constructed wetlands for the contaminant removal from wastewater.

Furthermore, ongoing research spans a wide spectrum of sustainable management strategies and technologies in the realms of solid waste and electronic waste (E-waste).

Research in the chemical aspects of air pollution, aerosols, their geochemistry, and their implications for climate change is being conducted with a focus on their potential benefits for mitigating air pollution and addressing climate change in the South Asian region. Expert faculty members are investigating emerging topics including reactive nitrogen, tropospheric ozone, gas to particle conversion, transport of pollutant, chemistry of rainwater, fog, and dew, the development of analytical methods for trace species, the speciation of metals in surface dust, acid rain, eutrophication, interactions between air pollutants and the atmosphere-biosphere, biomonitoring, bioaerosols, metal aerosols, carbonaceous aerosols, atmospheric mercury, and clean energy alternatives.

Studies are being conducted on persistent organic pollutants and their detrimental impacts on human health, as well as the presence and ecotoxicological consequences of microplastics in aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Studies of the Earth's materials and processes to understand geological and environmental changes from the Precambrian to the Anthropocene time are being conducted. Mineralogy and geochemistry, including REE and isotopes, are used as major proxies to understand paleoclimate, weathering processes, and sediment generation in the Earth's Critical Zone. Significant studies have been completed, and some are ongoing, on the Indo-Gangetic Plains, lakes of Gujarat and Himalaya, Thar desert sediments; weathering processes operating on Western Ghats, Bundelkhand Craton, and Deccan Traps.

The state of art facilities are available for carrying out the research. In most cases, research findings substantially contribute to the formulation of policies and the development of research and academic programs.

Area III Faculty

Prof. Umesh Kulshrestha

Prof. Dinesh Mohan (Convener)

Prof. Jayant Kumar Tripathi

Prof. Sudesh Yadav

Prof. Shekhar Mallick

Dr. Bikram Sen Sahu

A warm welcome to the modified and updated website of the Centre for East Asian Studies. The East Asian region has been at the forefront of several path-breaking changes since 1970s beginning with the redefining the development architecture with its State-led development model besides emerging as a major region in the global politics and a key hub of the sophisticated technologies. The Centre is one of the thirteen Centres of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi that provides a holistic understanding of the region.

Initially, established as a Centre for Chinese and Japanese Studies, it subsequently grew to include Korean Studies as well. At present there are eight faculty members in the Centre. Several distinguished faculty who have now retired include the late Prof. Gargi Dutt, Prof. P.A.N. Murthy, Prof. G.P. Deshpande, Dr. Nranarayan Das, Prof. R.R. Krishnan and Prof. K.V. Kesavan. Besides, Dr. Madhu Bhalla served at the Centre in Chinese Studies Programme during 1994-2006. In addition, Ms. Kamlesh Jain and Dr. M. M. Kunju served the Centre as the Documentation Officers in Chinese and Japanese Studies respectively.

The academic curriculum covers both modern and contemporary facets of East Asia as each scholar specializes in an area of his/her interest in the region. The integrated course involves two semesters of classes at the M. Phil programme and a dissertation for the M. Phil and a thesis for Ph. D programme respectively. The central objective is to impart an interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of history, foreign policy, government and politics, society and culture and political economy of the respective areas. Students can explore new and emerging themes such as East Asian regionalism, the evolving East Asian Community, the rise of China, resurgence of Japan and the prospects for reunification of the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the Centre lays great emphasis on the building of language skills. The background of scholars includes mostly from the social science disciplines; History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, International Relations and language.

Several students of the centre have been recipients of prestigious research fellowships awarded by Japan Foundation, Mombusho (Ministry of Education, Government of Japan), Saburo Okita Memorial Fellowship, Nippon Foundation, Korea Foundation, Nehru Memorial Fellowship, and Fellowship from the Chinese and Taiwanese Governments. Besides, students from Japan receive fellowship from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.