Introduction

The Department of Economics, one of the oldest Departments of the University was established in 1956 under the auspices of Jammu and Kashmir University.

In the year 1978, University Grants Commission recognized this Department along with Departments of twelve other Universities for Faculty Improvement Programme. This recognition of the Department attracted students from all parts of the country to undertake M.Phill and Ph.D programme. During the Eighties, the Department completed a number of research projects funded by the University Grant Commision and Indian Council of Social Sciences Research. In the year 1987, the University Grant Commission includes it in Department research support programme and three research projects on different aspects of the J&K economy were sanctioned to the Department.

The Department actively encourages the faculty members to attend Refresher Courses, organized in the various Academic Staff Colleges; to participate in training programmes, workshops and seminars in their areas of interest. The faculty has undertaken projects for agencies like the World Bank and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India on issues like watershed management and the use of remote sensing for decentralized planning. The faculty members have also been providing consultancy to agencies like the World Bank.