Founded in 1961, the Department of Zoology at Shivaji College is one of the leading departments among the sciences. The Department offers papers in life sciences, honours course in zoology, and generic elective paper in zoology for students from other science disciplines. Besides offering classical subjects like non-chordate (invertebrate) zoology and chordate (vertebrate) zoology, the Department offers an array of core papers (physiology, biochemistry, ecology, evolutionary and developmental biology) and a number of super-specialised disciplines viz. biotechnology, genetics, cell and molecular biology, immunology, animal behavior and chronobiology. The Department also facilitates a basic and comprehensive approach toward developing skills in disciplines such as apiculture, sericulture, aquarium and fish keeping, medical diagnostics, food, nutrition and health, and research methodology.
The faculty of the Department also mentor their students in groups and guide them in pursuing their academic goals in higher education. To encourage research among students, the Department awards Mrs. Swarn Kanta Nayyar Scholarship to the first two meritorious students in their penultimate academic year. In order to develop extra-curricular skills among students, the Department organises various events such as debating and quiz competitions, and invites eminent scientists from all over India to deliver lectures.
The biggest boon of the Department is its Zoological Museum that displays very rare type of animal specimens, skeletons and skulls for osteology studies. The Department takes pride in its laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation facility. The faculty also focus on developing diverse skills among students at the same time instilling good values like regularity, punctuality, participation and team spirit in various departmental activities.
