Course

EDS387 State and Civil Society in Development and Environmental Governance in India

Credits (ECTS):15

Course responsible:Darley Jose Kjosavik

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Engelsk

Limits of class size:Minimum 6 students

Course frequency:Annually (not offered in 2024 - 2025)

Nominal workload:375 hours

Teaching and exam period:This course starts in August block. This course has teaching/evaluation in August block and Autumn parallel.

About this course

The course consists of topics relevant to development and environmental governance in India: Introduction to Indian society and culture Political organisation and governance systems, Public policies and governance, Desert ecology and livelihoods, decentralised governance and the Kerala model of development, climate change and environmental challenges in a below sea level ecosystem. The course will be conducted in two different locations - in Rajasthan, Northwest India and in Kerala, Southwest India. The course includes lectures and discussions, field visits,meetings with relevant actors/stakeholders, reflections and write-ups by students. The course includes report writing and presentation by students.

Learning outcome

The course is aimed at providing overall understanding of development and enviromental issues in India. The candidates will get advanced knowledge of the interconnected nature of environment and development issues.

The candidates will develop knowledge and skills to work with rural and urban issues in development and environmental governance, advanced understanding of the synergy between state and civil society organisations in India in implementing development and environmental policies and programmes, developing skills in field work in a developing country context.

The candidates will be able to understand field issues, and communicate it to both researchers and civil society in general.

  • Learning activities
    Lectures,discussions, field visits, seminars, field work in rural and/or urban environments in Rajasthan, India, report preparation under the supervision of mentors.
  • Teaching support
    Daily contact between students and teachers.
  • Prerequisites
    Master level in Environmental Studies, Development Studies, International Relations, Economics, and Agroecology, Landscape Architecture, Public Health, or other relevant fields; or advanced Bachelor level in International Environment and Development Studies.
  • Recommended prerequisites
    EDS312: Research Methods; EDS 305: Development Theory and Policy
  • Assessment method
    Individual Report submitted based on group work and group presentation - 100% (A-F).

    Report Grading: Letter grades
  • Examiner scheme
    The Field Report submitted by the students will be evaluated by the course leader.
  • Mandatory activity

    1. 80% attendance in the lectures, seminars and field visits

    2. Group work including literature/data collection and anaysis, report writing and presentation.

  • Notes

    The course is a cooperation between NMBU, IDSJ, CDS and CERC/ATREE and is offered at the Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur, CDS, Thiruvananthapuram and CERC/ATREE, Alappuzha from mid-August to mid-September (approximately 4 weeks), with one week in Norway for course preparation.

    Students apply for the course to the department in February.

  • Teaching hours
    The course will consist of approx. 50 hours of lectures, 75 hours of field visits, 50 hours of reflections and writing field reports,100 hours of literature/data collection-analysis-writing Research report and approx.100 hours of selfstudy.
  • Preferential right
    M-DS, M-IES, M-IR, M- Agroecology
  • Reduction of credits
    No overlap
  • Admission requirements
    Relevant Bachelor degree or equivalent.