History
Soil, Water, and
Environment Discipline (formerly Soil Science Discipline) started its academic
activities in 1998-1999, introducing an undergraduate program that offers a
four-year Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree divided into eight terms. For
thousands of years, soil and water use have been important and fundamental
factors in human survival. Climate and demographic trends have made them more
important than ever - both locally and globally. Since soil, water, and the environment
are the major concerns at all societal levels, the discipline offers a
four-year Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Soil, Water and Environment
since 2017.
Course curricula of this
discipline are designed aiming at fulfilling the regional, national and
international demands and providing the necessary knowledge to its graduates to
be capable of carrying out diversified research and their applications in the field
of Soil Science, Agriculture, Environment as well as Water resource. It employs
a variety of methods for teaching both theoretical and practical courses such
as lectures/tutorials, practicums, presentations, viva voce, computer-based
education, etc.
The entity facilitates its
graduates with the support of five well-equipped laboratories (Soil Physics,
Soil Chemistry, Soil Microbiology, Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition, and Soil
Processing and Digestion) for conducting research and practical/sessional
works. Students may use and borrow books from the discipline's seminar library
containing updated books, journals and magazines. Graduates in this program,
can go on field trips as part of several courses to gain field level knowledge
and work experience. These curricula help graduates envision their societal
responsibility as well as support encourage and reward for the participation in
the sports, cultural, societal well-being and voluntary activities.
The program prepares its graduates for building their careers in a variety of educational and research institutes, GOs, NGOs and private consultation farms as scientists, experts, analysts, advisors, consultants and entrepreneurs. It also builds confidence and aspiration for perusing higher educational degrees at home and abroad. In order to address relevant SDGs and Delta plans, global and regional issues, this program offers an array of multidisciplinary courses for providing a solid foundation in soil, water and environment for developing new knowledge in soil’s physical, chemical and biological domain. This program intends to incorporate skills in the graduates for the efficient dealing with the issues of fertility, productivity and biodiversity of the ecosystems, soil, water and environmental health, management, conservation and sustenance of the natural resources, environmental impact assessment and monitoring, attenuation of health risk of plant, animal and human. It also takes up the challenges of feeding the increasing world population, developing methods for enhancing carbon sequestration for combating climate change, provisioning soil ecosystem services with the ultimate objective of ensuring a healthy planet for living and human well-being.