Introduction

The Department of Political Science was established (1968) to teach the subject of Political Science to the students of Jammu and Kashmir. It has been working hard to impart knowledge of the discipline through its Master Degree  Programme (MDP). This department has primarily been catering to students from the rural and urban areas of the Jammu region who have aspired to pursue higher education in the subject of political science. The USP of this department has been that its MDP curriculum has been exhaustive and contemporary, which has immensely benefited its students as they have qualified for various competitive examinations such as the UPSC, KAS, KJS and the UGC-JRF/NET and SLET. The intensive and extensive teaching has also helped them in this process to a great extent. This has culminated in the evolution of strong Alumni of the Department that has been a source of strength as well as inspiration because it has always inspired the students of the Department to stay motivated to achieve success in life. Its students got selected to various prestigious positions like Indian Administrative Services, Indian Police Services, Kashmir Administrative & Police Services, Assistant Professors in the Universities and Government Degree Colleges, 10+2 School Lecturers & Teachers and also various other positions in the Army, Para-Military Forces, Banking Sector and other public sector institutions. A large number of the students have availed the UGC-Junior Research Fellowship and Senior Research Fellowship during the course of their research work.

 While supervising research on topics of local, national and international significance at the levels of Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy, the Department has also been contributing to the field of research. Its thrust areas of research have been the politics in Jammu & Kashmir, India, South Asia and International Politics and India’s Worldview. The faculty of the Department has also been contributing to the domain of knowledge generation of discipline by publishing research papers in journals of national and international repute, apart from publishing authored and edited books on its thrust areas of research. The Department has also been disseminating knowledge about the dynamic aspects of discipline by organizing seminars, conferences, workshops, symposiums and invited lectures delivered by eminent scholars from India and abroad. The civil society has been constructively engaged through all such academic events. Its research contribution was further augmented by successfully completing the UGC sponsored projects such as the Special Assistance Program (SAP), the Gandhi Studies Centre and the Nehru Studies Centre. The Department conducts the Field Study for the M.A. students as a part of the course curriculum to initiate them in the field of research.

To keep pace with the changing needs of the discipline, state, society and market, the Department has upgraded its physical infrastructure to ensure the appropriate use of Information Technology tools in teaching as well as research. The Internet and digital databases have been used to improve the teaching-learning processes. The Department has also been using the Learning Management System (LMS) to make its teaching and learning environment most effective and dynamic apart from the regular classroom teaching. The student feedback, admission process, declaration of results and Departmental purchases have been made through online mode for effective and efficient working.