ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

The Post-Graduate Department of Studies in Geography was established in the year 1961 in the Karnatak University, Dharwad under the stewardship of late Prof. C. D. Deshpande, who took the initiative and evinced keen interest in starting the Department as there was a growing demand in several educational institutions for trained and qualified Geography teachers.

The Department of Geography started functioning with dynamic academician Dr. M. P. Srivastava, Reader and Head of the Department and were very short period of six months and Dr. R. J. Goodman from England took the responsibility as Head and also not remained in a longer time and left to England 1962. Later on, Dr. S. C. Bose was appointed as Professor and Head in the year 1962 and left the Department to take up new assignment at National Atlas Organization (NATMO) Calcutta. Prof. G. S. Singh was appointed as Head of the Department. Prof. Singh was a great scholar, innovative teacher and able administrator has left indelible mark on Geography Department. Prof. has initiated the Departmental Seminars and the academic activities have been commenced.  In view of this, Prof. Singh has founded the forum of Karnatak University Geographical Society (KUGS) with the faculty, research Scholars and Post-Graduate students. Through the forum, the eminent Geographers from different parts of India has been invited and arranged the academic discussions, special lectures and interactive sessions were conducted and paved the way for academic environment. The multi talented personality of Prof. Singh, the foreign invitations made him to leave the Department and accordingly left the in the year 1966 to Canada. Dr. B. N. Sinha took over the charge and was responsible for introducing field/project work as a part of M. A/M. Sc. Curriculum and maintained the academic standard and Headed the Department till 1970. Dr. N. B. K. Reddy took charge as Head of the Department and served in the Department a short period and Prof. M. S. Honrao, became a successor of Dr. N.B.K .Reddy and headed the Department from 1971. Prof. Honnarao was responsible for starting the M.A/M.Sc Course in Applied Geography. Dr. N. C. Vijayaraj became the Head and Headed the Department for a long period from 1976 to 1983 and 1985 to 1991. The untiring efforts of Dr. N. B. K. Reddy and Dr. N. C. Vijayaraj were greatly responsible for exposing our students to quantitative revolution by way of introducing a theory paper of Quantitative and Theoretical Geography and also introduced the practical paper on Quantitative Methods. These two popular teachers of the Department are responsible for trained many of the students to go for higher studies in India and abroad. The Department has produced good and capable students who took up the responsible assignments in the Planning Department served as Regional and Town Planners, Government of India as well as State Government and students became administrative officers in the State Government. The students who have interested in teaching and  serving in various colleges of Goa, Karnataka State and Shivaji University Kolhapur and even outside of India. There were growing demands of the students pursuing in the higher education, Dr. N. C. Vijayaraj,  Head of the Department was instrumental in starting the  Post-Graduate Department in Geography at P. G. Centre Belgaum, Karnataka State in 1982. The rotation among the  Chairman’s  of the Department was witnessed by changing from 1983 with  Dr. M. E. Karennavar who succeeded Dr. Vijayaraj as Head of the Department was active and organized All India Symposium on Natural Resources and Regional Development. After Dr. M. F. Karennavar the Department was successfully headed by Dr. D. G. Kulkarni. Dr. S. S. Naregal, Dr. S. R. Patil and  Dr. S. G. Kadarmandalgi. The 22nd National Conference of National Association of Geographers of India was organised by the Department in December, 2000 under the Chairmanship of Dr. S. I. Hugar and also was a Convener and celebrated in a befitting manner with 750 delegates from different parts of India. The host Department has received the appreciation with worth mentioning not only from the delegates and also from the University and other academic organisations.   

 Dr. S. R. Nidagundi becomes the successor of Dr. S.I. Hugar fallowed by Dr. S.I.Biradar and Dr. Aravind Mulimani till 2021.  Presently, Prof. Aravind Mulimani is heading the Department as a Chairman from May, 2021which is the fourth term of Chairmanship and managing the Department with high level of academic commitments with dedication is good guidelines for the young geographers.