New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for Environmental Law (CEL), World Wide Fund -India (WWF-India), to jointly run Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Law.

The programme will be offered in the July 2010 session through the School of Law (SOL), IGNOU.

On the anvil is a Masters programme in Environmental Law. The event was presided over by IGNOU Vice Chancellor, Professor VN Rajasekharan Pillai and attended by the faculty and staff of IGNOU and WWF.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Pillai said, "There is a wrong perspective that development can only happen if we compromise with the environment. Real development, on the other hand, will happen only if the environment is sustained. I hope that the new programme will present the right perspective of development to the students".

He further added that IGNOU would be interested in introducing programmes in conservation of Species and Biodiversity. IGNOU could also offer the programme to other Universities, he said.

Hoping that the programme would spread knowledge and awareness about enviro-legal matters to a wider audience, Mr. Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO, WWF-India said, "IGNOU's expertise in long-distance education will be beneficial for many students and researchers in pursuing this highly specialized programme."

He added that the main issue facing environmentalists today was the dearth of knowledge among the common people about the repercussions of climate change and dwindling species.

CEL is already offering the Diploma programme in Environment Law in the online mode and has trained 500 students.

The collaboration with IGNOU is expected to increase the reach of the programme to a wider section of society and is expected to develop Environment lawyers and supporting professionals in India.