Ecology deals with intricate relations between the living organisms and their surroundings. Moreover, the ecological studies focus on the relationships between individual organisms and the physical and chemical features of their environment. The eco-system is the basic functional unit in ecology. It is the system resulting from the integration of all the living and non-living factors of the environment.

In the ecological pyramid, human beings are the ‘consumers’ and they depend on plants and animals. Other than ‘natural calamities’ only human beings are responsible for the ecological crisis as they are endowed with ‘freedom’ and ‘reasoning power’. The greedy human behavior has brought severe ecological crisis making human life vulnerable. Smog in the cities, adulterated food, chemically polluted water, soil erosion, industrial wastes, climatic changes, deforestation, extinction of species, etc., are a few visible and harmful effects of ecological crisis. The degrading human values and the dominance of the consumerist culture have made modern man turn against himself. The threat to ecology from industry witnesses the fall of the human person and the world. 

In this context, the groaning earth calls for a ‘reordering’ of the value systems at the personal, community or global level. To obtain this objective the Department of Ecological Protection (DEP) takes specific steps. 

It promotes healthy living, by creating a healthy mind and a healthy environment and it concentrates on the following focus areas: Forestry, Conservation of Plant Species, Natural Resource Management, Pollution Control, Environmental Science, Natural Disasters Management, Ecotourism, Industrial Waste Management, Water Management, Global warming

 The specific activities of the Department will include the following: 

• Research studies on environmental issues;

• Specific Projects related to Biogas, Solar energy, Watershed Management, Conservation of medicinal plants, Sanitations, etc.;

• Seminars and Workshops on themes related to ecology and environment;

• Short training programmes related to ecology and environmental protection; 

• Outreach (mobile) training programmes for the benefit of NGOs, CBOs or communities; 

• Development of eco-field labs or model centers at different rural and urban locations.

In addition to these, this department collaborates with other academic institutions, research centers, corporate sectors, GOs, NGOs, CBOs. DEP seeks the active collaboration of like-minded people and groups towards achieving its goal.