Psychology - University Of Calcutta Researcher profile

Personal profile

History

Year of Establishment : 1916

History of the department : In academic arena in 19th century world context, Psychology was considered to be a new inclusion of Science. Wilhelm Wundt in the University of Leipzig, first realized the importance of studying mental states under certain special experimental conditions as a separate science. The closing years of the 19th century witnessed the appearance of a new branch of science which came to be known as Experimental Psychology. Impressed by its promise and progress, Sir Asutosh Mukherjee, who was then the planning head to introduce at the Calcutta University Post-Graduate course of studies in various disciplines of Arts and Science, decided to include Experimental Psychology in his list. At his request eminent philosopher Dr. Brojendra Nath Seal, King George V Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy of the same University, drew up the syllabus in 1905 after consulting the courses of studies of different Universities in Europe and America, and established a laboratory for demonstration purpose. Eleven years later this laboratory was upgraded as the first Psychology Department, the Department of Experimental Psychology.

Narendra Nath Sengupta, who chaired this department, had his education at Harvard University with Hugo Munsterberg, a student of William Wundt. Laboratory research at Calcutta in the areas of depth perception, psychophysics, and attention inspired early work at other centres. Recognizing the scientific nature of research, psychology was included as a separate section in the Indian Science Congress in 1923.

Thus, psychology in India at an early stage acquired the status of a science along with physical and biological sciences. The Indian Psychological Association was founded in 1924 and the Indian Journal of Psychology, the first psychology journal in India, appeared the very next year.

Before these experimental traditions could consolidate, Sengupta left Calcutta. He was succeeded by Girindra Shekhar Bose.

He established the Lumbini Park Mental Hospital in Calcutta in 1940, and in 1947 brought out a journal 'Samiksha'.

The Department started an Applied Psychology Wing in 1938, when Jung, Meyers, and Spearman were invited to the Silver Jubilee Session of the Indian Science Congress.
Starting from Calcutta University Department, Psychology in India has been expanding rapidly in 21st century. There seems to be the growth of Psychology in having a number of eminent research and clinical institutes in its developmental fold. The areas of research interests are covering the topics of Neuropsychology, Counselling Psychology, Educational Psychology, Indigenous Psychology, Developmental disability, Media Psychology, Social Psychology, Cross-cultural Psychology, studies on aggression and terrorism, in addition to continuous interest in clinical Psychology and Psychoanalysis.

Special award/ recognition from UGC or related statutory body:

Special Assistance Programme (SAP) DRS -1;
Participation in CPEPA RCI recognized course of M.Phil Clinical Psychology (2005-2015)

Thrust areas in teaching and research of the academic department :

Clinical Psychology
Developmental Disability
Social Psychology
Cognitive Neuropsychology
Experimental Psychology
Qualitative Research

Major activities :

Inter-Departmental Research Project of UGC on Electro-physiological and Neuro-imaging studies including mathematical modeling under the Scheme Centre with Potential for Excellence in Particular Area (CPEPA) Participating departments are Psychology, Applied Mathematics and Physiology.
The Department of Psychology, University of Calcutta has successfully completed its research work, being credited with the Centre for the Study of Developmental Disability under DRS-I, Special Assistance Programme, sponsored by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Organized Centenary Conference in Psychology: An International Event, from 9th-11th October, 2015, in collaboration with the Department of Applied Psychology, University of Calcutta at Nano Center, Salt Lake, University of Calcutta
Organized National Seminar on History of Psychology in India on 18-19th March, 2015 in collaboration with the Department of Applied Psychology, University of Calcutta and Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, Kolkata.
Organized International Conference on Developmental Disability, 6th-8th March, 2014.

Academic & Other Activities:

Regular theoretical and practical classes and tutorials
Regular seminars, journal clubs, --movie clubs, case conferences, group discussions with audio-visual medium
Individual student counselling
Regular assessments of the students through assignments

Clinical Services Offered (with regular faculty supervision)

Common facilities provided to the community through assessment, counseling and psychotherapy to psychiatric patients referred by different government hospitals and N.G.Os.
Common facilities are also provided to N.G.O. s which deal with disability and with other physical disorders (cancer, hypertension, HIV etc.).
These services are rendered without any monetary charges.
Clinical assessment in different Disability Camps organized by Govt. & Non- Govt. Institutions allover state.
In C.U.I.I.P.P. (Calcutta University Industry Institute Partnership Programme), the Department has clinical diagnostic and counseling unit, since 2002.

Source of referral of clients

Department of Psychiatry, Calcutta Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata
Department of Psychiatry, Nilratan Sircar Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata
Department of Psychiatry, R G Kar Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata
Department of Psychiatry, M R Bangur Hospital, Kolkata
Department of Psychiatry, National Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata
Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Kolkata (known as Institute of Psychiatry)
Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Child Health, Kolkata
Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Child Health, Kolkata
Pavlov Hospital, Kolkata
Mon Foundation, Center for Mental Health Care, Kolkata
Department of Neurology, ESI Hospital, Kolkata
Port Trust Hospital, Kolkata
B. R. Singh Hospital, Kolkata
Border Security Force Hospital, Kolkata
Police Hospital, Kolkata
Department of Psychiatry, Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, Kolkata
Department of Psychiatry, Vivekananda Institute of Postgraduate Education & Research, Ramkrishna Mission Hospital, Kolkata
District Hospitals of various districts of West Bengal
Referrals from Consultant Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists, Special Educators, Physicians, Pediatrics, School & College Counsellors as well as teachers
Different NGOs, Special and Regular Schools.