Rethinking Sustainability Education in India: The JSES case study

O.P. Jindal Global University is a leading Indian institution, offering programmes across a wide range of disciplines, including Law, Business, Psychology, Environment, and Public Policy. Within this ecosystem, the Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability (JSES), established in 2020, plays a central role in advancing sustainability education.

This case study draws on insights from an interview with Abhiroop Chowdhury, Dean of JSES.

Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic—a moment that revealed both environmental fragility and resilience—JSES was founded on a clear mission: to address the growing gap in sustainability education.  

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A deeply interdisciplinary approach to sustainability education

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At JSES, sustainability is not treated as a standalone subject, but as a framework for understanding and solving complex challenges.

As Abhiroop Chowdhury explains,  “We try to solve pressing environmental issues through sustainability paradigms—looking at how human systems and natural systems can coexist, rather than simply restricting development.”

This philosophy is embedded across all programmes. The undergraduate degree in Environment and Sustainable Development is offered through both BA and BSc pathways, combining science, policy, and applied practice. JSES also offers an online MSc for mid-career professionals and a doctoral programme focused on applied research.

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Integrating TASK™ into the student journey

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TASK™ plays a strategic role as both a diagnostic and reflective tool.

All first-year undergraduate students take TASK as part of a foundational course covering topics such as planetary boundaries and the SDGs. While participation is mandatory, performance is not graded.

As Abhiroop Chowdhury notes, “The idea is for them to understand where they stand, and over time improve their sustainability acumen.”

Beyond the first year, TASK remains optional, yet around 80% of students choose to retake it.

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The value leadership sees in TASK™

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Dr. Abhiroop Chowdhury appreciates that TASK™ allows students to self-identify strengths and gaps across different sustainability pillars, without requiring them to disclose scores publicly. This approach helps students reflect on their learning and prepares them to become sustainability professionals.

Dr. Kumar Manish, Associate Dean at the Office of Academic Affairs JSES, highlights that TASK is particularly valuable because it focuses on applied thinking rather than rote memorization. The questions are scenario-based and encourage critical problem-solving using sustainability knowledge, rather than testing historical facts or dates.

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Impact on students, faculty, and curriculum

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Since introducing TASK, JSES has observed meaningful impact across multiple levels:

1. Increased student engagement and curiosity: Students frequently follow up on their results by asking deeper questions about specific sustainability topics, indicating a strong link between assessment and learning motivation.

2. Growing faculty alignment: Initial skepticism among faculty—particularly around introducing a new form of assessment—has evolved into support. The non-graded, low-pressure model has been key to this transition.

3. Stronger student confidence: TASK provides students with an international benchmark, allowing them to compare their performance globally and reinforcing the relevance of their education.

4. Curriculum refinement: The TASK sustainability model offers a framework, helping the institution to ensure that courses collectively address all sustainability subjects, while also supporting how students navigate elective choices.

Overall, TASK acts as both a mirror and a compass—reflecting current competencies while guiding future learning.

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Scaling sustainability across the university

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JSES also contributes to sustainability education beyond its own programmes. In collaboration with the university’s Office of Sustainability, it supports institution-wide initiatives, including a compulsory MOOC on environmental science for all students.

As Abhiroop Chowdhury puts it, “Sustainability should not be limited to one school—it should be an overarching concept across the university.”

TASK has also been piloted beyond JSES, with early efforts to expand its use to other schools, reflecting a growing recognition of the need for shared sustainability benchmarks across disciplines.

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The Indian context: policy ambition and educational opportunities

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India presents a unique and dynamic context for sustainability education. On one hand, the country has strong environmental regulations—such as the Environmental Protection Act of 1986. At the same time, policy advancements have not always been matched by widespread integration of sustainability into higher education.

“India has very good environmental laws, but environmental conditions in many parts of the country are still not where they should be.” He adds, “One of the reasons is the lack of interdisciplinarity in the education system. Environment has traditionally been taught either as a science-centric course or a policy-centric course.”

Recent developments, including the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and mandates for environmental education across undergraduate programmes, are beginning to shift this landscape—creating momentum for more interdisciplinary, skills-based approaches.

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Embedded, interdisciplinary, and action-oriented sustainability education

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The experience of JSES illustrates how sustainability education can move beyond theory to become deeply embedded, interdisciplinary, and action-oriented. By combining experiential learning with tools like TASK™, the school is equipping students not just with knowledge, but with the competencies needed to navigate complex sustainability challenges. As institutions worldwide grapple with similar questions, JSES offers a compelling example of how to align educational practice with the urgency of global environmental change.

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