It is a matter of great pleasure and pride for me to introduce the Department of English, Himachal Pradesh University. Established in 1971 and located in the Dr Ambedkar Bhawan,  the department has, to its credit, achievements any educational institution can be proud of. The department takes pride in having eminent scholars like Prof. V. Y. Kantak, Prof. Jaidev, Prof Som P. Ranchan, Prof. B. S. Pathania, Prof. Shyam M. Asnani, Prof. Jaiwanti Dimri, Prof. V. P. Sharma, Prof. Pankaj K. Singh, Prof. Girija Sharma and Prof. Rekha Sharma as the faculty to have taught the students over a period spanning five decades and alumni like Dr Anil Wilson, former Vice-chancellor of this university and Principal, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi; and Prof. Roshan Lal Sharma, former Vice-chancellor, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamsala.

The Department of English offers two programmes, Masters in English and Doctor of Philosophy in English, and is well-equipped with ample infrastructural and human resources to run these programmes efficiently and effectively. The two classrooms are spacious and the state-of-the-art Language Lab is furnished with adequate ICT resources to hone the spoken skills of the students. The six faculty members, comprising one professor, three associate professors and two assistant professors are qualified, experienced and adept at guiding researchers. Moreover, the transition from the old to the new has been seamless, which has ensured that the excellence of the erstwhile has seamlessly flown into the present faculty.

The department offers an all-inclusive experience to the students in terms of teaching, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities including socially relevant activities. The department’s legacy of academic excellence is continued in Manan, the journal of the Faculty of Languages, edited by Prof. Rekha Sharma, Dean, Faculty of Languages, HPU Shimla.

As the academic head of the university, I invite aspiring students to join the department as M.A. students and complete their academic journey as Doctor of Philosophy. The duration of your academic journey in the department and the university shall invariably be a fruitful one imbibing in you the desired specification to mee the ever- increasing demands and expectations of the professional world and contribute to the society and the nation in a positive way.