Government Arts College (Autonomous)
Karur - 639 005, Tamil Nadu

About the Department

HISTORY OF ZOOLOGY DEPARTMENT :
The Department of Zoology at the Government Arts College, Thanthonimalai, traces its origin to 1980-81 when the Biology department was bifurcated into Botany and Zoology Departments. Prof. S.Subramanian became the first Head of the Department. He governed the department with only one poorly equipped lab. Only 7 regular staff and a lab assistant were there in the beginning. In the last two decades of 20th century department made a steady progress under the head of many academic giants like Prof. Dr. U. Karuppannan, Prof. Dr.K. Vijayaraman and Prof. S. Subramanian. A Museum with good rare collections was opened adjacent to the laboratory. When the Department was formed, only undergraduate programme was started by admitting meager student strength of only 30. UG Programme was conducted in both English and Tamil. The student strength was upgraded to 48 during the academic year 2005. Many chemicals, specimen, animals required for dissection practical were purchased. Hanging lamps, which help the students in dissection, were fitted in 2004. Tiles were laid in the floor of the museum gave a beautiful look to it in 2007.
The first decade of the 21th century is the golden period of Zoology Department as the Department made a tremendous progress under the stewardships of Prof. N. Kannaki, Prof. V. Kasthuri, Prof. K. Shanmugavalli, and Prof. C. Muniaraju. This progress is kept in pace by the present Head, Prof. K. Gnanasekaran with the workmanship of Navaratnas, the young and energetic Professors.
The academic atmosphere in the department reached zenith of its glory when Postgraduate programme was started in 2004. Since M.Sc. was started under self –financing stream with the approval of the government, the lab was equipped with many costly types of equipment required for PG practical and research. Another lab was provided after a long period of struggle. New dimension was added to the department by introducing applied courses like vermiculture, sericulture etc. and modern integrated courses like biophysics, biostatistics, Computer applications in Biology etc. in the curriculum. In 2006, the PG programme was converted into a regular course and the staff strength was increased to 11 by the government.
The library of the department has got a good collection of about 3500 books of different subjects of life sciences. Moreover, the department has subscribed three journals from the year 2014. Both students and staff of the department are benefitted by the library. They also help to enrich the library by sponsoring money to purchase books and by donating their own books. The library is freely accessible to them at any time of working hours. Every year books are issued to students.
After completing three years of PG Programme successfully government gave permission to start M.Phil. programme in the year 2007-08. Our department became full-fledged Research Department when Ph.D. Part –Time and Full-Time Programmes were started in the year 2011-12. Due to increase in student strength, and need of adequate space for UG major and allied (for Botany and Chemistry students) practicals, a separate building namely, Doctor Puratchi thalaivar MGR Centenary Celebration building was given in the year 2019. The building consists of 8 class rooms and two UG Practical labs and an instrumentation room. Now we have created not only a congenial atmosphere for promoting quality research in the department but also set high standard of excellence by publishing high quality research papers in prestigious International and National journals.
Distinctness of the Department & Best Practices:
1. Regular issue of books at the beginning of the semester after receiving the books taken in the previous semester. A student can take home any number of books from the department library.
2. Taking care of the students at hard times. Helping them when they are sick.
3. Discipline of the students.
4. Taking the students for fieldtrips/educational tour programmes.
5. Using teaching aids like, charts, specimens, LCD, devices, instruments, etc.
6. Well maintained museum
7. Well-equipped laboratories.
8. Conducting quiz programmes on wildlife and online competitions.
9. Creating environmental awareness
10. Regular supply of all lab articles required for practical classes individually to all PG students and each set for one pair of students at the beginning of the month and receiving at the end of the semester/year.
11. Applied courses in the curriculum
AIM OF THE DEPARTMENT:
"To provide education to boys and girls of all sections at the UG, PG and Research level and thus to uplift them from their low economic and social level and render them capable of giving greater help to their family and the society at large. To impart scientific knowledge and guidance to explore the hidden areas of life-sciences. To produce energetic men and women of character and conscience."
VISION OF THE DEPARTMENT:
"To educate the values and discipline to young by teaching Life science."
MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT:
"To produce intellectually enlightened youth with biological knowledge, accomplished young who will be agents to social transformation with biological science"
OBJECTIVES OF THE DEPARTMENT

• Helping the students to understand the formation and functioning of living organisms.
• Imparting knowledge about the various technologies in life sciences.
• Creating awareness to conserve the environment.

Former Heads of the Department of Zoology and their tenure