The objectives of the ENVIS Scheme being; to build up a repository and dissemination centre in Environmental Science and Engineering, to enable application of modern technologies of acquisition, processing, storage, retrieval and dissemination of information of environmental nature, to support and promote research, development and innovation in environmental information technology, are to be realized through a framework which includes:
i) Scientific Advisory Committee, the highest body in the scheme, chaired by Secretary (E&F) is constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Changeevery three years.
ii) ENVIS Cell/Secretariat/Focal Point, with a maximum of five (5) core staff, to carry out the coordination of and provide information technology support to ENVIS Centres etc.
iii) ENVIS Centres, deal either with “State of the Environment and Related issues” of a particular State/UT (called State/UT Centres) or have a specific environmental-related subject/theme mandate (called Thematic Centres)
iv) Indian State-Level Basic Environmental Information Database (ISBEID)/ENVIS Portal
v) Any other initiatives within the purview of the Scheme.
The role of an ENVIS Centre is to act as a single-window information provider on various areas related to environment as set out in the MoU executed in the Host entity with the Ministry. Each Centre is a part of country-wide web-enabled network on which environmental related information collated and updated by each centre is made publicly available on a single e-platform.
The Centres are tasked with performance of environmental information related activities on an annual basis covering database development that include descriptive information and numerical data, creating information products, maintaining and upgrading ENVIS website on NIC platform, and disseminating stored information through newsletters, reports, reprints, special thematic publications, news digests, abstracting services etc. and maintaining Query-Answer Service etc.
Presently, ENVIS Network covers 24 nos. of States and 4 no of UTs with 31 nos. of ENVIS Centres, now known as ENVIS Hubs and 35 nos. of Thematic Centres, now known as ENVIS Resource Partners functioning all over India.
