Introduction
The University started this Women's Studies Centre in April 2005.The Centre was sanctioned UGC Grant in 2009 and in year 2012 the Centre was given continuation in the second phase of its scheme for Women's Studies Centres in University & Colleges we now have a full time Teaching & Non-teaching staff funded by the UGC. The Centre's main objective is to promote research and teaching in the new inter-disciplinary field of Women's Studies, and also to explore new areas of outreach into the community on women's issues.
The Centre was born out of a felt need for imparting gender sensitivity and Women's perspectives to students, researchers, fellow academics and policy makers through relevant education. The initial spectrum of activities of the Centre included research and documentation, teaching of specific courses in other interdisciplinary programs of the Institute; preparing of teaching materials and aids; consultancy on gender themes and organizing and conducting of training programs, seminars and conferences. In recent years, the Centre has built on this rich experience of early years to focus its activities towards evolving MA-Program in Women's Studies. The Centre has also been involved in networking and extension for national and international advocacy on Women's issues since its inception.
It has a rich history of women centered research and advocacy and has demonstrated expertise, developed over several years, of teaching women's themes across other existing programs. The presence of a well-developed library and documentation facility also complements our aspirations.
New Subject
The most important element in doing Women's Studies is to have a critical approach, to look at familiar and accepted facts, images theories with a new vision, to think about oneself and those around us in a new way. Many of our male students have said that this course gave them a fresh understanding of the world; because gender is everywhere, but we have been taught not to think about or even see it.