Department of Geography was initially established in the year 1944 when Ravenshaw was a college affiliated to Patna University (Bihar). Sri D. Chatterjee was the founder Head of the Department. Since the beginning, teaching in the department has its focus on the applied components of geographical knowledge and hence, when teaching at post-graduate level was introduced in the year 1981, it was renamed as Department of Applied Geography. The department has created a niche for itself in eastern India during a short span of four decades of PG level teaching. The department draws students from all neighbouring states. It is about fifteen years now since Ravenshaw College became a university in 2006 and the department has come a long way from where it had started. Currently the department offers both Undergraduate (B.A./B.Sc. Honours and Elective) and Post-graduate (M.A./M.Sc)., M.Phil. and Ph.D.) programmes in Geography. Admission to Undergraduates (Honours and Pass) and Post-graduate programmes in the department is offered to students from social as well as natural /physical sciences. M.Phil. and Ph.D. programmes were started in the department in the year 2007 and during this short period a considerable number of scholars have been awarded degree for respective courses.

The major thrust areas of teaching and research in the department are: Population, Health and Development; Urban Development and Inclusive Planning; and Resource Management and Sustainable Development. Our graduate students get into various universities/institutes in India such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Delhi, Jamia Millia Islamia, International Institute of Population Sciences, Mumbai and Tata Institute of Social Sciences(TISS), Mumbai and many others for higher studies. The department maintains its own library with a collection of more than 600 books. In addition, the library has a good collection of various Census publications, Journals, Magazines etc. The department also has an air-conditioned Computer Lab for conducting practical classes in Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS), with necessary accessories including software like ERDAS Imagine, Geo-Media etc. Besides regular learning in the department, both undergraduate and postgraduate students also go for field visits during their coursework to expose themselves and understand the social and physical environments in different parts of the country.

Maintaining its past legacy, Department of Applied Geography has remained vibrant with academic activities during the period. The department has organized several extra-mural lectures by inviting renowned scholars from different universities and institutes of the country and from abroad ever since Ravenshaw became a university. Visiting faculties from reputed universities/institutes have been engaged towards enrichment of teaching in the department. The department has organized three National Seminars. First, a UGC-sponsored national seminar on Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Devotement, was organized from 26th-27th February, 2005, the proceedings of which were brought out in the form of a book published in 2007. Second, a national seminar on Sustainability and Inclusiveness: India’s Development Trajectory was held from 8th to 9th November, 2014 while the third national seminar (sponsored by UGC) on Urban India: Issues and Challenges was held on 30^th March, 2017. Besides, these events, the department has also organised four workshops so far: First, UGC- sponsored workshop on Natural Hazards and Disaster Management on 18th March, 2007; Second, Data Dissemination Workshop of Directorate of Census Operations, Bhubaneswar on Census Data on Fertility and Migration on 5^th October, 2007; Third, DST-sponsored two-day workshop on Improving Spatial data Management for Decentralized Governance in Odisha, from 17^th to 18^th January, 2012; and Fourth, DST-sponsored workshop on Need-Based Assessment for Various Line Departments of Urban Local Body from 1st-2nd March, 2017. A week-long DST sponsored Capacity Building Training Programme on Remote Sensing and GIS based on Remote Sensing and GIS was also organised from 22nd-28th March, 2017.