The University Grants Commission has selected Anu Gopinath who is an Associate Professor and head of the Department of Aquatic Environment Management at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) to create and deliver Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels on Arctic studies. According to the KUFOS statement, she will deliver the courses through the SWAYAM portal, focusing on India's Artic Policy.
What is the aim of creating Artic/Polar Studies course?
UGC and the Ministry of Earth Sciences have taken this initiative to raise awareness among universities, colleges, and institutions about the availability of Arctic or Polar studies. The decision to create a course on Arctic/Polar Studies for inclusion on the SWAYAM platform was made during a meeting of the National Security Council Secretariat which was held after India released its Arctic Policy on March 17, 2022, under the title 'India and the Arctic: Building a Partnership for Sustainable Development'.
It is expected that this policy will play an essential role in preparing the country to collectively address challenges such as climate change. According to a statement, the country needs multiple stakeholders, including academia, the research community, business and industry when putting this policy into action. For the creation of the courses, the University Grants Commission requested proposals from colleges and universities on the following subjects - Climate and Environmental Protection, Economic and Human Development, Transportation and Connectivity, Governance and International Cooperation, and National Capacity Building under India's Arctic Policy (IAP).
Four Proposals were shortlisted
The commission sent letters in this regard to the vice-chancellors, principals, and directors of universities, colleges, and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), requesting suggestions for the creation of MOOC courses by May 15, 2023. KUFOS responded to this request by submitting a proposal entitled "Understanding the Arctic: Climate and the Need for Environmental Protection" prepared by Anu Gopinath.
There were 92 suggestions received all around India, including this one. Out of the 92 suggestions, ten were selected for further consideration, and ultimately, only four were chosen. The remaining three scientists who have been chosen are P Sakthivel (Dr Ambedkar Law University, TN), Jitendra Kumar Pattanaik (Punjab Central University), and B S Balaji (JNU). The announcement further stated that Anu Gopinath participated in India's Arctic excursions in 2014, 2016, and 2017.
(From PTI inputs)
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