From the Head’s Desk: About University Department of Sociology

Located in the campus of Nitishwar Mahavidyalaya (and as an adjunct to the College), the University Department of Sociology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University, was established in 2002 under the able headship and guidance of Prof (Retd.) B.K. Singh, who remained its founder-head until his superannuation in 2017. Soon after its inception, the department made major strides, and became a prominent center of post-graduation and doctoral studies in the university. Thereafter till October 2021, the department was led by Dr (Retd.) Ranjana Sinha, another accomplished scholar. Dr (Retd.) Ajay Kumar, another noted Professor, served the department till 2015.

Currently (since November 2021), the University Department of Sociology is being run under the distinguished headship and stewardship of  Dr Arya Priya, Assistant Professor, who has done his MA, MPhil, and PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. The other two highly qualified Assistant Professors are Dr Ranbir Kumar (guest faculty), and Dr Vishwa Anand (guest faculty).

Since its inception in 2002, the department has the honor of producing scores of PhD scholars, and hundreds of MA students, who all are mostly well-placed into different walks of life. Most of the current research scholars are UGC-NET holders. The department boasts of a robust enrolment in the masters, with the numbers swelling with each passing year: 74 (in session 22-24), and now 86 (in session 23-25). The department also has a rich in-house library. The faculty and students are frequent participants in seminars and conferences in the country. The department also holds regular seminars, conferences, symposiums, and workshops, to educate and sensitize the students on numerous important social-cultural issues, with erudite speakers and panelists from across the country. The University department of Sociology is dedicated to cleanliness and green environment, and has taken significant steps, in recent times, to implement the National Education Policy, 2020. The department is committed to well-rounded development of the students, and encourages them to participate in extra-curricular activities. The University department of Sociology promotes dialogic pedagogy, and fosters among the students the spirit of critical inquiry and scientific temperament.