Department of Environmental Studies - Ashoka University

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Department of Environmental Studies

Today, more than ever, our well-being and that of our fellow creatures depends on how we think and act upon the biophysical world we share. Fundamental changes in the earth’s climate and oceans threaten basic survival.  Rivers, forests and grasslands are shrinking.  Cities are collapsing into chaos.  Meanwhile millions of people still lack adequate food, water, energy and shelter.  Environmental Studies provides the concepts, methods, and modes of analysis to understand and address this range of critical issues.  By offering rigorous training that combines classroom teaching with field research, and by bringing together the humanities, social and natural sciences, Environmental Studies equips students with the intellectual and practical resources for achieving social and ecological justice.

Programmes

Faculty at Environmental Studies

The department’s faculty members work on a variety of subjects—from wildlife conservation to sustainable food systems, urban planning to air pollution, collective action and environmental movements. They approach problems from a range of disciplinary perspectives—biology and ecology, cultural geography and history, sociology and anthropology. Their research draws on experimental methods, quantitative modelling, geographical information systems, field-based observation, ethnographic and archival methods. Much of this work is cross-disciplinary and collaborative. It speaks to wider scholarly and public debates, both Indian and global, about environmental issues and policies. Cutting-edge, empirically rich, and theoretically rigorous inquiry and teaching is the hallmark of Environmental Studies at Ashoka.

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The Department of Environmental Studies cordially invites you to a Ph.D. Candidacy Presentation (OQE) on

Date:  5th May 2026, Tuesday

Time: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Venue: Ramachandra Hall, Ground Floor, AC05 

 

Title: "Fire, Herbivory, and Tree-Grass Systems during the Holocene in the Core Monsoon Zone, India: Insights from Biophysical Data and Indigenous Knowledge"

Speaker: Jishnu Borgohain, PhD Scholar Environmental Studies Department

 

Abstract: While ecosystems are influenced by both biophysical and anthropogenic factors and vary over long time scales, ecological datasets often span only a few decades. Given this short time scale, it remains difficult to disentangle the full range of ecological variability. Although ecological studies have long recognised human-environment interactions, there is limited understanding of the long-term influence of human activities on ecosystems. Given this context, whether ecosystems are solely influenced by biophysical factors or whether human activity has also co-created the landscape remains contested. This project uses palaeoecology to understand the ecosystem, its dynamics, and the role of human activity in co-creating the Central Indian landscape (Core Monsoon Zone) across the Holocene. Simultaneously, drawing on anthropology, this project employs systematic reviews and ethnographic methods to explore the worldviews and knowledge systems through which Adivasi communities characterise and use fire as well as perform grazing practices that may influence the local vegetation. In doing so, the dissertation aims to highlight the importance of an interdisciplinary approach that integrates palaeoecological and anthropological data, without arguing for historical continuity, to foster a critical understanding of the environment and to inform environmental stewardship, conservation, and management.

Bio: Jishnu (he/him) is a PhD student working under the supervision of Dr. Meghna Agarwala. For his PhD, he will investigate long-term human–environment interactions by combining palaeoecological proxies with insights from cultural anthropology. Jishnu holds a master's degree in environmental science from Pondicherry University. Prior to joining as a PhD student, he worked as a junior research fellow at the Neuroethology Lab at Ashoka University and as a research assistant with Aaranyak (NGO), Assam. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music and doing street photography.

 

We look forward to your active participation in the talk.

 

warm regards,

Environmental Studies Department

 

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The Department of Environmental Studies cordially invites you to a Ph.D. Candidacy Presentation (OQE) on

Date:  5th May 2026, Tuesday

Time: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Venue: Ramachandra Hall, Ground Floor, AC05 

 

Title: "Fire, Herbivory, and Tree-Grass Systems during the Holocene in the Core Monsoon Zone, India: Insights from Biophysical Data and Indigenous Knowledge"

Speaker: Jishnu Borgohain, PhD Scholar Environmental Studies Department

 

Abstract: While ecosystems are influenced by both biophysical and anthropogenic factors and vary over long time scales, ecological datasets often span only a few decades. Given this short time scale, it remains difficult to disentangle the full range of ecological variability. Although ecological studies have long recognised human-environment interactions, there is limited understanding of the long-term influence of human activities on ecosystems. Given this context, whether ecosystems are solely influenced by biophysical factors or whether human activity has also co-created the landscape remains contested. This project uses palaeoecology to understand the ecosystem, its dynamics, and the role of human activity in co-creating the Central Indian landscape (Core Monsoon Zone) across the Holocene. Simultaneously, drawing on anthropology, this project employs systematic reviews and ethnographic methods to explore the worldviews and knowledge systems through which Adivasi communities characterise and use fire as well as perform grazing practices that may influence the local vegetation. In doing so, the dissertation aims to highlight the importance of an interdisciplinary approach that integrates palaeoecological and anthropological data, without arguing for historical continuity, to foster a critical understanding of the environment and to inform environmental stewardship, conservation, and management.

Bio: Jishnu (he/him) is a PhD student working under the supervision of Dr. Meghna Agarwala. For his PhD, he will investigate long-term human–environment interactions by combining palaeoecological proxies with insights from cultural anthropology. Jishnu holds a master's degree in environmental science from Pondicherry University. Prior to joining as a PhD student, he worked as a junior research fellow at the Neuroethology Lab at Ashoka University and as a research assistant with Aaranyak (NGO), Assam. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music and doing street photography.

 

We look forward to your active participation in the talk.

 

warm regards,

Environmental Studies Department

 

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Contact Us

For any queries regarding Environmental Studies programmes, please contact: -

Mitul Baruah

Head of the Department

mitul.baruah@ashoka.edu.in

Uttkarsha

Department Manager

uttkarsha@ashoka.edu.in

Trigya Dhir

Environmental Studies Student Representative, Academic Year 2025-2026

evs.rep@ashoka.edu.in

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