The Department of Population Studies has started during the year 1986. The Department offers M.A., M. Phi., and Ph. D. Programmes. Till 2006, the Department has produced more than 60 postgraduate students, more than 20 M. Phil., and 12 Ph. D. students. 14 research projects, with funding from various sources, have been completed by the Department. The funding for these projects have been received from United Nations Development Programme, Wellcome Trust (U.K.) grant routed through French Institute of Pondicherry, Population Investigation Programme (U.K.), Family Planning Association of India (Bombay), Ford Foundation (USA) routed through CEHAT, Mumbai, Ford Foundation (India) routed through Sri Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum and the University Gants Commission, New Delhi.

The faculty (3 members till 2002 and only one right now) and students of the Department have published more than 100 research papers in Journals / Edited Books of National and International repute like, Demography, Population Studies, Genus, Social Biology, Asia-Pacific Population Journal, Journal of Comparative Family Studies, Journal of Population and Social Studies, etc., in addition to 6 Books. Similarly, a number of Seminars / Conferences / Workshops have been organised including the Annual Conference of the Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP) and Southern Regional Conference of the IASP.

5 research scholars of the Department received grants from the PARKES FOUNDATION, U.K., and one from the Population Council. 5 students of the Department received best paper awards in National Conferences of the Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP) and the Indian Society of Medical Statistics (ISMS). One of the Ph. D. thesis was adjudged as the Best Thesis in Demography in the academic year 2000-01 by the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkatta and award to that was presented to the scholar. 4 students have passed the UGC-NET Lecturership examination of the UGC, New Delhi. All those completed Ph. D. degrees in the Department, except one, are employed in various Population Research Centres and National and International NGOs / Institutes.

In the recent past, the Department is mainly focusing its research activity in the areas of reproductive and sexual health of young men, ageing and economic aspects of population. In this direction, two projects have been completed on Sexuality and Sexual Behaviour of factory workers in Tirupur city, Tamil Nadu, and among youth in rural and urban areas of Tamil Nadu. One UGC-Major Research Project entitled "A Study of Child Labour with Special Reference to Fire Works and Match Industries of Sivakasi in Kamarajar District, Tamil Nadu", is ongoing with a funding of 8.32 laksh from the UGC, New Delhi.



Address :
Department of Population Studies
Bharathiar university
Coimbatore - 641 046
Tamil Nadu. India.