Mission of the Department

The Department is committed to imparting cutting-edge knowledge and skills in Geography with a strong emphasis on its applications in Teaching, Research, and Extension Activities. Our mission is to foster student empowerment, institutional and social development through a holistic academic approach.

Intake Capacity:

• F.Y. Special - 40 student
• P.G. Level - 24 students

Core areas of study include Physical and Human Geography, Geographic Informatics Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), and their dynamic linkages with society. The teaching-learning ecosystem is enriched through state-of-the-art laboratory. The teaching-learning ecosystem is enriched through state-of-the-art laboratory practical, immersive study tours, consultancy practices, and research-driven project work.

Brief History

• 1962 Foundation of Geography discipline at the General (Pre-degree) level
• 1971-Upgraded as a Special Subject (B.A.) with an independent department
• 2007 - Postgraduate program launched, recognized by Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune

Over the decades, the Department has evolved into one of the largest and most reputed Geography center in Ahilyanagar district, boasting 08 dedicated faculty members. Awards & Recognitions

Best Department Award

• (Best 5S)-2010, for excellence in infrastructure and innovative practices
• Young Geographer Award - Deccan Geographical Society, India (2010)
• Inspiration Best Teacher Award - Mr. Sainath Aher (2019)
• Best Teacher Award - Mr. Sandip Deshmukh (2014, 2023)

With a strong research culture, the department has successfully completed 12 projects with 02 UGC-funded projects ongoing. Faculty have contributed 65 research papers in reputed national and international journals.

The department is also deeply engaged in community-centric initiatives such as Socio Economic & Environmental Surveys and the continuous monitoring of the Pravara River ecosystem.

Level of Teaching

• Undergraduate (UG)
• Postgraduate (PG)
• Specialization at PG Level: Population and Settlement Geography

Milestones

• 1962-Geography introduced at Pre-degree level
• 1971 Establishment of an independent Department (Special Subject)
• 1974-Inception of State & Interstate Educational Tours
• 1991-First Geography Day celebrated (Guests: Hon. Dr. C.D. Deshpande & R Garsole)
• 1995 First National Conference in collaboration with Maharashtra Bhugolshasra Parishad
• 1991 – First Geography Day celebrate – chi gust Hon.Dr. C.D. Deshpande and S.R. Garsole
• 2007 – Post Graduate Course started
• 2007 – Entrance test for admission to M.A./M.Sc. started
• 2008 – National conference on "Resent Trends of Geoinformatics"
• 2015- B.Voc. Hospitality and Tourism started
• 2018 – Started Certificate course in Geoinformatics
• 2018- National conference on " Multi-disciplinary approaches of Remote Sentencing and GIS"
• 2022 - विद्यापीठ स्तरीय दोन दिवशीय बांबू हस्तकला प्रशिक्षण कार्यशाळा
• 2022 – One day workshop on Curriculum Modification of Geography (CBCS)
• 2023 – Introduced Six Month Certificate course in GIS and RS.

Heads of the Department

• 1961-1995-Prof. P.M. Kamlapur
• 1995-2006 Prof. B.V. Joshi
• 2006-2009 Prof. Mrs. A.B. Bhangare
• 2009-2017-Prof. S.1. Bairagi
• From July 29, 2017 - Prof. R.D. Gaikwad

Infrastructure

1. Total Space: 4933.52 Sq. Ft. (458.52 Sq. M.)
2. Classrooms: 04
3. Practical Laboratory: 01
4. GIS/IT Laboratory: 01
5. Departmental Library: 01

Facilities & Resources:

• 19 Computers, 1 Scanners, 2 Printers
• 2 LCD Projectors & 1 Smart Board

Software: ArcMap, QGIS, GoogleEarth pro.

Special Instruments: Total Station, 3 GPS, Dumpy Level, Range Finder, Theodolite, Mirror Stereoscopes. Fish Finder, Pocket Automatic Weather Station.

Collections: Aerial Photos, Satellite Images, Weather Maps, Toposheets, Atlases, Village Maps, Gazettes & Census Records

Rock Museum: A rare and vibrant collection of rocks gathered from diverse states of India during academic excursions.

Courses run by the department