The Department of Defence Studies at
this University came in to being in the academic session 1957-58 for the teaching
of Military Science courses at the under graduate level. With the passage of time,
enormous changes were made in the courses to keep pace with phenomenal developments
in the country and abroad. The post graduate teaching in Defence Studies was started
by the Department in 1974 after the approval of the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
Late Sri H. N. Bahuguna, the then Chief Minister of U.P., has been quite instrumental
for the multidimensional development of this Department.
The Department
of Defence Studies has the unique distinction of maintaining higher standard of
interdisciplinary teaching and research and its faculty members are genuinely
qualified to adapt various changes in the domain, range and scope of Defence and
Strategic Studies. At present, its courses are in full conformity with the recommendations
of the successive committees constituted by the University Grants Commission.
This happened with adequate consultation of various experts in the field of Defence
and Strategic Studies, both from within the country and abroad.
Over the
years, there has been enormous increase in the number of students intake, both
boys and girls coming from the streams of Humanities/ Social Sciences and Natural
Sciences to seek admission in Defence Studies and the number goes beyond Seven
hundred. The Department has also earned international reputation through the expertise
of its faculty members. In addition, the Department has organized national and
international seminars in the past and its faculty members have participated in
various national and international seminars, congresses and symposia, both within
the country and overseas. By now it has organized 09 UGC sponsored National Seminars
and 05 Refresher Courses and occupies frontline position amongst the main centres
of Defence and Strategic Studies in the country.
The present faculty members
of the department include Prof. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. R. N. Singh, Dr. Rahul Mishra,
Dr. A. P. Shukla, Dr. Hari Saran, Dr. S.C. Pandey, Dr. Harsh Kumar Sinha, Dr.
P.K. Yadav, Dr. V.K. Singh and Dr. S.N.M. Tripathi. The department met with a
major setback due to the sudden demise of Dr. Pradeep Kumar on May 10, 2003. Posts
of one Professor, one Reader and two lecturers are lying vacant.
The faculty
members are doing pioneering works by producing reading materials and reference
books on Defence and Strategic Studies and have participated in the outreach programmes
on national and international security. In recognition of higher standard of writing
work, two faculty members - Prof. Rajendra Prasad and Dr. R.N. Singh were awarded
second prize by the Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India in 1989-90 for original
writing of a book titled as “Bhartiya Sainya Itihas ki Rooprekha”, Vol.
I.
Always exploring new areas for teaching and research, the Department
has its plan to establish a Remote Sensing Unit for terrain studies for National
Defence. In July 1997 one of the faculty members, Dr. Hari Saran was given opportunity
to have basic training in remote sensing at the I.I.R.S., Dehradun.
List
of Former Heads:
Major R.C. Kulshrestha (The founder Head)
Major K.S. Nagar
FACULTY POSITIONS (SANCTIONED POSTS): 14
EXISTING FACULTY STRENGTH:10
Professor: 02
Reader: 03
Lecturer: 05
In addition to the above, post
of one Professor, one Reader and two Lecturers have been advertised.
Lab
and Research Facilities:
The Department of Defence and Strategic
Studies at this University possesses specific laboratory facilities for Map Reading
and Sand Model Exercises for the study of Indian and Western battles and campaigns,
including area studies from tile point of view of National Defence, The Department
is also inclined to set up a Remote Sensing and National Security Unit for terrain
studies.
Library Facilities:
The
Department of Defence and Strategic Studies relies heavily on the central library
facilities of the University fulfilling its need of reading materials, journals
and reference books for students, research scholars and teachers.
Over the
years, tile Department has also established a small but very useful departmental
library with a collection of more 1000 books, journals, periodicals and other
latest publications on defence and strategic studies. The Department also enjoys
the facilities of receiving reference books and other relevant materials regularly
from some other institutions like the United States Information Resource Center,
New Delhi, the British-American International Security Council, USA and UK and
a few others.
