About department
After the establishment of then Marathwada University in 1958, the department of Political Science came into existence in 1962, following a persistent demand of students across Marathwada region to have post-graduate teaching facility in political Science. Dr. G. N. Sharma, instrumental in taking the department to its dizzying heights in terms of its expansion and development, was appointed as its first Head in 1963. With his commendable scholarship and command of the subject, Professor Sharma set the Department on to a trajectory of exemplary progress.
It is worth mentioning that late Prof. MoinShakir and late Prof. B. L. Bholey belonged to the first batch of students of M. A. Political Science passing out in 1964.The first examination of M. A. part –I in the Department was held in May 1963. In all 22 students took the examination and three of them secured first class. The Department subsequently introduced a Ph. D. programme. S. A. Bari,R. Jayaram, R. S. Morkhandikar and Gopal Krishnan werefirst four candidates to register their names for Ph. D, in the department.
The Department continued to grow and cater to the needs of the students and teachers across the region. In 1970, the Department, had a new entrant in the person of Prof. MoinShakir, an eminent scholar, whose intellectual commitment and academic pursuits enabled him to hold a prestigious position of National Professor (ICSSR, New Delhi) at an age of 38.
In keeping with the growth and the development of subject, the Department continued to grow, even as new faculty joined in to expand its academic aura. Dr. Adi, Dr. P.M. Bora, Dr. A.Y. Darshankar, Dr. J.R. Shinde, Dr. A.B. Sawant, Dr. H.A. Gani, Dr. B.S. Waghmare, Dr. S.N.Datye& Dr. S.S.Nikam and Dr. K.Y. Daud were amongst those who joined as the faculty and produced the batches of brilliant students. Currently, Dr. Mohd. Umar, Dr. Prashant Amrutkar and Dr. K. S. Shakirare a recent addition to the galaxy of Department’s teachers.
At one stage, department offered a combined course of M.A. Political science & Public Administration with four papers in each subjects and was known as the department of Political Science and Public Administration. However, in 1992, it was bifurcated to create two separate departments of Political Science and of Public Administration.
Besides having men of talent and academic excellence on its faculty, the Department has produced brilliant students who have occupied important positions in the academic and public life within the country and abroad. It has always played and been playing a pivotal role in imparting the advanced knowledge in political science to hordes of students often coming from the under-privileged and downtrodden segments of Marathwada region.