About the Department

Brief History:
The Department of Zoology is one of the oldest departments of the City College. It started its journey way back in 1939, and has been one of the pioneer departments in science. At the beginning, The Zoology Department was a part of Bioscience Department with Prof. Hemendra Chandra Mukherjee as the Head of the Department. In 1956, the Bioscience Department took a giant leap in starting Zoology Honours course with Dr. N. M. Basu as the Head of the Department. At that time the faculty was very much enriched by the aggregation of excellent teaching and non-teaching staff. The tradition is still continuing. The Department has top reputation in the College with dedicated faculty members with vast knowledge, experience in their respective fields of specialization. Apart from teaching in the under-graduate course, the teachers are also involved in Post graduate teaching in different Post graduate colleges/institutions. They are actively involved in research works, with regular participation in International/National/State Level scientific conferences, seminars, workshops etc. to keep themselves updated with newer advancement and discoveries in Biological sciences, as evident from a number of research papers published in different International Journals with few undergraduate text books and book chapters by the faculties. Consistently our students keep us proud with their excellent results in the university examinations.

The department is actively involved in organizing Seminars by Eminent Speakers and Students, Workshops, Hands-on Training Programmes, Environmental Awareness Programmes, Field Study and Excursions etc. for the overall academic and scientific developments.

Overview:

• The Department offered a 3 Years Under-Graduate Degree Course of Studies with Zoology as an Honours or as a General Subject to the students previously with the 2+1 system then the 1+1+1 system from 2009-2010 academic session and presently the Department offers the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) with 6 Semesters from 2018-2019 academic session, as per the curricula of the University of Calcutta.
  
  Learning Outcome:
  The subject Zoology is not a single subject; rather, in true sense, it is a very vast field to explore. It deals with studying the animal kingdom, their origin on earth; their natural habitats, behavioural and ecological roles they play, the diversity of the animal world and their conservation strategies, their interactions with other wildlife, mutuals, commensals and parasites, their physiological, biochemical and hormonal interplay and influence of genetic potential on them, their various ways of adaptations, which may lead to the evolution and creation of new species, approaches and applications of various molecular biology and biotechnological tools and techniques towards the remediation and eradication of various disorders and diseases to improve the quality of life etc. All these factual studies can be considered under a single umbrella known as "ZOOLOGY". It is not only a subject for students rather it is a subject for all, because the human being be exemplified as the most advanced creature of the Zoological World.
  
  Why Study Zoology?
  
  • Zoology should not be considered as a bookish subject only, rather it should be considered as a vast field to explore with multifaceted and inimitable genres, such as Cell Biology, Physiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Anatomy, Parasitology, Immunology, Endocrinology, Neurobiology, Ethology, Developmental Biology, Marine Biology, Ecology, Biodiversity & Conservation to name a few.
  • Zoologists can also study animals at the level of the cell, organ systems, whole animals, animal communities or whole ecosystems.
  • Zoologists can consequently be divided and classified on the basis of their area of speciality. For example, an Anatomist studies the body organisation of animals, an Ethologist studies behavioural attributes of animals, a Physiologist studies how animals work, a Neuro-biologist studies how do animals coordinate and become responsive differentially against different stimuli and an Ecologists study how animals interact with their environment and other animals in it.
  • Some zoologists work in "pure" fields whereas others work in “applied” fields. Pure, basic or fundamental science can be interpreted as “science for its own sake” and is concerned with increasing the knowledge of how living things sustain their lives, but it also provides the scope of thoughts for applied science. Applied science, as its name suggests, involves applying scientific knowledge to specific problems. Many studies that fall into the applied sciences have major implications for man and the environment. Fisheries & Aquaculture, Sericulture, Apiculture, Lac-culture, Vermiculture, Pearl-culture, Poultry, Dairy, Piggery etc. are a few descendant applied fields from the Mother Zoology.
  • Studying Zoology in acolytes also instigate the urge of-
    • Knowing the Animal Kingdom
    • Exploring and cherishing the Nature with structural and behavioural diversities of the Animal Kingdom
    • Knowing the process of animal preservation
    • Protecting the Biodiversity in their Natural Habitat
    • Conservation of animals in Zoo-gardens
    • Importance of Museum
  • Another important aspect to study zoology will open up a wide range of exciting career opportunities. Some of the fields of work can include: developing and testing new drugs, disease and pest control, conserving endangered habitats and species and animal welfare and education.
  • Having a variety of options allow picking a specific and interesting field in Zoology to specialise in-depth, whether that is conservationism, research, analysis, and so on.
  • Of course a range of job roles means a range of job locations. Someone could be working for a government agency in a lab or a charity in a remote or exotic location.
  • There are simply a whole host of options in zoology, meaning one will be able to find a career in an area of enjoyment.
• Student-Teacher Ratio
  The Student-Teacher ratio of the Department is always very good with an average of 11:1 for the students with Honours and an average of 15:1 for the students of General Courses.

Ex-Teachers:
The Department of Zoology, City College, Kolkata, has been glorified from its inception by having many magnanimous personalities as its faculties; a few of them are:

• 
  Prof. Hemendra Chandra Mukherjee
• 
  Prof. Niroj Mohan Basu
  
  
• 
  Ashish Kumar Duttagupta
  
  
• 
  Prof. Buddhadeb Manna
  
  
• 
  Prof. Siladri Kumar Gupta
  
  
• 
  Prof. Harit Bhattacharyya
  
  
• 
  Prof. Kedarnath Bhattacharjee
• 
  Prof. Prasanta Kumar Mondal
• 
  Prof. Durga Charan Manna
  
  
• 
  Prof. Baidyanath Chakraborty
• 
  Prof. Korak Kanti Chaki
• 
  Prof. Hariprasad Sarkar
• 
  Prof. Bela Keshan
• 
  Prof. Gautam Kundu

Infrastructure:
The Department of Zoology, City College, Kolkata, has the following infrastructural facilities-

• Laboratory: Various modern and sophisticated instruments are present in Zoology laboratories where students are supported by well tuned teachers and laboratory staffs.
  Instruments available in Zoology Laboratory:
  • Electronic Balance
  • pH Meter
  • Magnetic Stirrer
  • Vortex
  • Table-top Centrifuges with changeable Rotors
  • Distillation Apparatus
  • Vertical and Horizontal Gel Apparatus with Power Suppliers
  • Numerous Simple, Monocular and Binocular Compound Microscopes
  • Prizm and/or Mirror attached Camera Lucida
  • -20°C and (0-4)°C Refrigerators
  • Incubators
  • Burettes and Pipettes
  • Micro-pipettes
  • Hygrometer
  • Sedgwick-Rafter Counting Chamber
  • Thermometers
  • Rotary-Microtomes
  • UV-Vis Spectro-photometer
  • Colorimeter
  • ELISA-Reader
  • Desktops
  • Laptops
  • Lesser-jet Printers
  • LCD Projector with Screen
  • Over-head Projector
• Teaching Accessories: Classes are conducted with Chalks & Dusters, using the Black-boards and with Board Markers, using the White-boards as the facility available in the specified class-rooms by the faculties for regular class-room teaching.
  Apart from this, overhead projectors and LCD projectors with Screens are also used for teaching in the classes if required by the faculties for better understanding of some topics by the students, as audio-visual modes of demonstration form an important aspect of teaching methodologies.
• Seminar Library: A vast collection (approximately 400) of modern and classical books for both honours and General students is available in the departmental library, which is able to accommodate the requisition of students as well as faculties at free accessibility to consult anytime of the working day. The lending facility for the books is also available in the Department under the supervision of designated faculty members.
• Museum: The Department of Zoology possesses an enriched Museum with a wide collection of preserved Animal Specimens (approximately 300) and many of which were collected and preserved by the departmental faculties and students: bones, histological slides, slides with microorganisms, parasites, larval forms, embryonic developmental stages (a total of more than 100 slides, approximately), Models of Internal Organs, Charts displaying various organ systems of some Model animals, etc.
  

  Image: Museum

Distinctiveness:

• Continuous Research activities by the Faculties: All Faculties of the Department of Zoology are actively involved in research activities in their respective fields, like Genetics and Molecular Biology, Endocrinology, Histology, Ecology, Ethology, Fisheries & Aquaculture, Immunology, Entomology, Anatomy etc. Prof. Kedarnath Bhattacherjee, Prof. Korak Kanti Chaki and Prof. Supriti Sarkar, acted as Principal Investigators (PIs) and Co-Principal investigators (Co-PIs) of some Major and Minor Projects Sanctioned to the Department of Zoology, City College, Kolkata, by the authorities like UGC, DST, Biodiversity Board etc. Some of them are listed here.

  SL. No.	Name of Project	Project type (Major/Minor/ Funding Agents etc.)	Duration	Remarks/Place of work
  1.	“Effects of urbanization and anthropogenic disturbances on nesting biology and population of neighbouring fauna’.	WEST BENGAL BIODIVERSITY BOARD PROJECT (File No.508/3K(BIO)-4/2018 SANCTIONED AMOUNT: 3,60,000/-	2018-	PI: DR. SUPRITI SARKAR City College, Kolkata-9
  2	‘An Elaborate study of pancreatic and extrapancreatic influences on fenugreek induced hypoglycemia in diabetes with special reference to gestational diabetes’.	UGC-MAJOR PROJECT File No.42-526/2013(SR) Amount sanctioned: Rs. 11,27,219/-	2013-2017	PI: DR. SUPRITI SARKAR City College, Kolkata-9
  3	‘Exploration of molecular cross-talk involved in the roadmap to hyperhomocysteinemia-induced pregnancy loss’	SERB-DST (MAJOR PROJECT) File No. SB/YS/LS-132/2014 Amount sanctioned: Rs. 32,50,000/-	2015-2018	PI: DR PRATIP CHAKRABORTY Co-PI: DR. SUPRITI SARKAR City College, Kolkata-9
  4	Establishment of a protocol for induced breeding in soft-shelled turtle by hormonal manipulation.	UGC(MINOR PROJECT), Govt of India F.PSW-28/98-99 ERO, dt 25/2/1999	1999-2001	PI: DR. SUPRITI SARKAR City College, Kolkata-9
  5	Effects of Lithium on pancreatic function in rats.	UGC(MINOR PROJECT), Govt of India F.PSW-020/07-08 ERO,dt21/2/2008	2008-2010	PI: DR. SUPRITI SARKAR City College, Kolkata-9
  6	Micro-anatomy of Salivary Gland Cells in some Gastropod Molluscs.	MINOR University Grants Commission (UGC) PSW/024/04-05 (ERO), DT. 03/03/2005 Sanctioned amount Rs. 65,000/-	2005-2006	PI: Rrof. Kedarnath Bhattacharjee City College, Kolkata-9.
  7	Ultra-structural Studies on the Digestive Gland of two Gastropod Molluscs.	MINOR University Grants Commission (UGC) PSW/29/98-99 (ERO), DT. 25/02/1999	1999-2001	PI: Dr. Korak Kanti Chaki City College, Kolkata-9.

• Students' Magazine: Both Current and Ex-Students of the Department publish wall magazines at regular intervals. Presently the Wall Magazine "BEEKSHON" is published biannually. Previously, the wall magazine "ZOO-ZOOMER" was published annually. The wall magazines are published by the students with the assistance of teachers.
• Cultural Programs: Besides academic activities, students are actively involved in celebration and observation of several cultural occasions as well as important Days like Teachers Day, Rabindra Jayanti, Vasanta Utsav, Farewell, Freshers Welcome etc.
• Awareness Program: In each year, students participate in a Wildlife Awareness Rally, organized by an NGO, "ANUBHAB– Expedition for Better Tomorrow" and also participate in ‘Poster’ and ‘Essay’ Competitions, organized by the same NGO, after completion of the Rally, and they have won prizes from these competitions, several times.
  The Department of Zoology organizes "World Biodiversity Day", which must be distinctively appreciated in a way that the students of the department are well aware of the importance of Biodiversity to sustain life on this Earth, and this kind of awareness can be an way to make the world free from diseases and other environmental threats.

Best Practices:

• Academic
  Experimental Learning through Educational Excursion, Environmental Audit and Field work: Each year, students of both Zoology Honours and General Stream are taken to areas with special Ecological Profiles, Topography, Climate and Enriched Floral and Faunal Diversity to enhance their practical knowledge through interaction with animal worlds, animal habitats, animal behaviour, environment, zone specific biodiversity etc. Their experiences are expressed through individually prepared reports. Here, students get chances to enhance their analytical power as well as their writing skills. Also the students of 2nd Year Zoology General (previously) and 4th Semester Zoology General (Presently) visit Zoological Garden, Alipore, Kolkata and Indian Museum, Kolkata, in each academic session to gather knowledge about Ex-situ Conservation process and Evolution of the animal world, as a part of their curriculum.

  Academic Year	Class of Students Visited	Places Visited	Assisting Teachers	Key Purpose of Visit
  2017-2018	3rd Year Zoology Honours Students	Visit to Dudhwa and Katarniaghat National Parks, Uttarpradesh	Dr Korak Kanti Chaki Dr Arkadeep Mitra	Ecological Field Study
  	3rd Year Zoology General Students	Nimpith Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Jainagar, 24 Parganas (S), West Bengal	Dr Korak Kanti Chaki Dr Debasish Karmakar Dr Arkadeep Mitra	Fishery and Animal Husbandry Visit
  2018-2019	3rd Year Zoology Honours Students	Ranthambore National Park and Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Rajasthan	Dr Supriti Sarkar Dr Debasish Karmakar Dr Sudipta Patra	Ecological Field Study
  	3rd Year oology Honours Students	Visit to Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary, Narendrapur, 24 Parganas (S), West Bengal	Dr Debasish Karmakar Dr Indranil Roy	Environmental Audit
  	3rd Year Zoology General Students	Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalay, Mohanpur, 24 Parganas (N), West Bengal	Dr Korak Kanti Chaki Dr Arkadeep Mitra Dr Krishnendu Das Dr Maharaj Biswas Dr Indranil Roy Dr Soumen Roy	Animal Husbandry Visit
  2019-2020	3rd Year Zoology Honours Students	Nagzira and Tadoba National Park, Maharashtra	Dr Arkadeep Mitra Dr Krishnendu Das Dr Indranil Roy	Ecological Field Study
  	3rd Year Zoology Honours Students	Santragachhi Jheel, Howrah	Dr Debasish Karmakar Dr Indranil Roy Dr Soumen Roy	Environmental Audit
  	3rd Year Zoology General Students	Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalay, Mohanpur, 24 Parganas (N), West Bengal	Dr Korak Kanti Chaki Dr Arkadeep Mitra Dr Krishnendu Das Dr Maharaj Biswas Dr Indranil Roy Dr Soumen Roy	Animal Husbandry Visit
  2021-2022	Semester–6 Zoology Honours Students	Talsari, Odisha and Digha, West Bengal	Dr Debasish Karmakar Dr Arkadeep Mitra Dr Saiful Anam Mir	Behavioural Field Study
  2022-2023	Semester–5 Zoology Honours Students	Bhitarkonika National Park, Odisha	Dr Debasish Karmakar Dr Krishnendu Das Dr Indranil Roy	Ecological Field Study
  	Semester–5 Zoology Genaral Students	Subhash Sarovar, Beliaghata, Kolkata	Dr Debasish Karmakar Dr Saiful Anam Mir	Aquatic Biological Study
  	Semester–6 Zoology Honours Students	Subhash Sarovar, Beliaghata, Kolkata	Dr Supriti Sarkar Dr Debasish Karmakar Dr Arkadeep Mitra	Behavioural Field Study

• Academic Interaction
  The department organises seminars where students are encouraged to select any topic of their choice and make a presentation within a stipulated time frame, and all our teaching faculties are there to assist them. Every presentation is followed by a thorough question answer session and discussion to reshuffle their concepts and also focusing on recent advancements of the subject/ topic as well as how to improve the presentation as a whole, which involves how to make a better presentation (PPT) together with delivering it in a better way. This activity/ exposure has always been an immense help for our students and helps boost their confidence and prepare them to speak in front of a larger audience. With time, they perform better and need less help from our side. Occasionally, we encourage them by selecting the best presenter for the session and greeting them. We have been fortunate to get pretty good presenters who have done very well, later on and have won several prizes for their presentations at different levels.
• Organization of Seminars/Talks by Eminent Speakers
  The Department organizes different seminars on a regular basis where Scientists from Research Institutes, Faculties of other colleges, Universities etc. deliver lectures on special, interesting, modern aspects of the subject Zoology.
• Organizing Workshops
  Workshops are organised regularly by the Department individually in college or in other colleges or in collaboration with other organizations on current/modern laboratory techniques and hands-on training for students of same/other colleges.
• Project Works by Students
  Students are often allowed to be involved in different field-based educational training programme in other colleges and institutions. From such activities, they prepare individual projects on that. Besides that, students of Semester 5 and 6 (3rd year), academic session, 2021-2022, were also made involved in a Special Project work in Collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), India, entitled "Preparation of Bio-fertilizer from Daily Domestic Kitchen Wastes to Reduce the Unwanted Hazard of Chemical Fertilizer in the Environment, Surrounding Kolkata Metropolis a Basic Initiative", under the WWF-ECHO scheme "TRANSFORM BUSINESSES FOR A GREENER FUTURE".
• Assessment of Academic Performance
  A discussion is conducted after each class by all the faculty members to explain and clarify the students doubts about the topic taught.
  Class tests for both theoretical and practical topics are being conducted periodically by each faculty member of the department in continuation of the completion of the allotted syllabi.
• Remedial and Extra classes
  Before the end of each academic session (Semester/Year), after completion of the allotted syllabi, extra classes on both Theory and Practical papers are being conducted by each faculty member as and when required to brush up the comparatively backward students for more and more practices to comply with their privation of academic intellect.
• Appreciation of Academic Excellency
  The Department of Zoology appreciates the excellence in academic performances of students’ for securing the highest marks in the University of Calcutta with Zoology Honours (Cumulating 3 Years/6 Semesters) from the Department of Zoology, City College, Kolkata, by awarding them with Dr. N. M. Basu Memorial Medal and Book Prizes and also for securing First Class Marks in the said examination at each academic session.
• Parents-Teachers Meeting
  The Department meets with the parents/guardians of the students on a regular basis to discuss the overall academic performance of the students, overall attendance in the classes and the upcoming field trip/excursion be conducted, if any, with the students to extend an overall profile of each student to his or her parents/guardian to aware them about their wards.
• Publication on Research and Books so far

  No. of Research articles	No. of Review articles	Number of Abstracts in Proceeding etc.	Number of Books / Book Chapters	Remarks (Publications in affiliation to the City College, Kolkata)
  Dr. Supriti Sarkar, Associate Professor in Zoology
  9	--	11	8	--
  Dr. Bela Kishan, Ex-Reader in Zoology
  3	--	--	--	--
  Dr. Debasish Karmakar, Assistant Professor in Zoology
  5	--	9	2	--
  Dr. Arkadeep Mitra, Assistant Professor in Zoology
  3	3	3	--	--
  Dr. Krishnendu Das, Assistant Professor in Zoology
  1	--	--	--	--
  Dr. Saiful Anam Mir, Assistant Professor in Zoology
  6	--	--	--	--
  Ms Dona Banerjee, SACT–I in Zoology
  1	--	6	--	--
  Dr. Indranil Roy, SACT–I in Zoology
  --	--	--	--	--
  Dr Soumen Roy, SACT–I in Zoology
  12	--	--	1 + 1 [Patent]	--
  Dr. Indranath Ghosal, SACT–II in Zoology
  2	--	--	--	--

• Collaboration
  The Department of Zoology made collaborations with other Colleges, like Vidyanagar College, 24 Parganas (S), West Bengal; **Shyampur Siddheshwari Mahavidyalay, Howrah, West Bengal; Birati Ichhedana Society, 24 Parganas (N), West Bengal; etc., through MOUs for exchange of knowledge, Faculty, Laboratory Facilities, Social Outreach Programmes, Awareness Programmes, Blood Donation camps, etc.
• Organizing Workshops in collaboration with others
  Workshops are organised regularly by the Department in collaboration with other colleges or organisations, like the Zoological Society of Kolkata, Gurudas College, Kolkata, etc., on current or modern laboratory techniques and hands-on training for students of the same or other colleges.
• Career Guidelines for future Achievements
  Teachers of the department deliver lectures at a regular interval on various elaborated schemes of academic and non-academic/service-oriented career opportunities for both the students of Honours and General courses to encourage and guide them on how to build up their careers in the future, not only with maximum suitability but also to comply with individual inevitability.
• Environmental/Ecological Awareness Programmes
  Students of Zoology Honours, under the guidance of departmental faculties, join in different environmental and wildlife awareness rallies, biodiversity awareness seminars, photography exhibitions, and quiz, sit-and-draw, essay, extempore, etc.ompetitions organised by Other Colleges, Universities, NGOs, the Govt. of West Bengal etc. at a regular interval frequently securing ranks and winning prizes.
• Social Outreach Programme
  Students and teachers participate in and organize Food Donation and Awareness programmes on the High Food Values of various Low-cost Nutritional Food Items for underprivileged children in association with NGOs like Pratyush, Barasat, 24 Parganas (N), West Bengal, etc.
• Blood Donation Camp
  In association with Birati Ichhedana Society, Current and Ex-students, Teachers, Laboratory Attendants of Department of Zoology, City College, Kolkata, organizes Blood Donation Camp as well as Awareness Programmes on such activities through Seminar Lectures, Audio-Drama, and Individual Interactions etc. at a regular interval.