The Department was established in 1967 as part of the B.A. Pass Course curriculum. The Honours degree programme in Political Science was introduced in 1971.
The Department offers B.A. (Hons.) and B.A. Programme courses at the undergraduate level. It also offers Generic Elective (GE), Skill Enhancement Course (SEC) and Value-Added Course (VAC), which are popular among students from other disciplines. The Department has a dedicated and experienced faculty. Their areas of specialisation include Political Theory, Indian Political Thought, International Relations, India’s Foreign Policy, Comparative Government and Politics, Public Administration and Western Political Thought. Faculty members actively participate in national and international conferences and have published extensively in reputed journals.
The Political Science course familiarises students with the foundational areas of the discipline, including the Indian political system, political ideologies, constitutional studies, governance, public policy, human rights and global politics.
The programme equips students with strong critical thinking and analytical skills, enabling them to articulate ideas clearly and engage thoughtfully with diverse arguments and perspectives. As a discipline, Political Science is well-suited for students aspiring to careers in education, research, media and mass communication, social work, civil services, law, gender studies, film and cultural studies and related fields.
The Department regularly organises seminars, talks, lecture series, workshops and panel discussions to foster the intellectual growth of its students. Distinguished scholars from India and abroad have been invited to deliver lectures in the Department, including , including Prof. Amita Singh, Prof. Charru Malhotra, Prof. Happymon Jacob, Prof Ashok Acharya, Dr. Jagmati Sangwan, Prof Mary E John, Prof. Harsh V. Pant to name a few. The Department undertakes several key activities that enrich student engagement beyond the classroom. Its annual flagship event, Pol Pourri, is organised around pressing contemporary issues and aims to foster a well-rounded and critical understanding among students. The Department also publishes an annual student magazine, DEMOS, curated by students under the guidance of a faculty coordinator. Each edition is centred on a core theme, such as the politics of the pandemic, peace and conflict in contemporary India and the world, women and politics etc.
The Departmental Association serves as an active forum for dialogue, debate and intellectual exchange, attracting enthusiastic participation from students across disciplines as well as faculty members. The Department also takes pride in its distinguished alumnae, who have gone on to make meaningful contributions in diverse fields including media, law, performing arts and academic research.
