Osmania University, the glorious seat of higher learning established 100 plus years ago, has Chemistry Department as an integral part of the esteemed institution in its stride all through these years since its inception. Chemistry Department currently with 38 faculty members, derives its strength from the core values of visionary founders, nurturing hands of eminent educationists at the inception who laid the platform to bring highest quality education to the reach of one and all. Eminent teaching fraternity of the yesteryears along with successful Alumni made immense contributions in the journey of this august institute and it is equally matched by the earnestness and efficacy of the current academic community and vibrancy of young researchers to continue the legacy and take it to the next level.
The Department of Chemistry at Osmania University, one of the oldest and largest departments, boasts a glorious history spanning over 100 years. Founded in 1917 as an undergraduate teaching institution, it began offering an M.Sc. in Chemistry in 1928. Over time, the department has expanded, introducing specializations in Inorganic, Organic, Physical, Physical Organic, Analytical, Pharmaceutical, Pharmacoinformatics, Forensic Science, and a 5-Year Integrated M.Sc. program. The constituent and affiliated colleges of Osmania University continue to offer undergraduate B.Sc. programs with Chemistry as an optional subject. Currently, Osmania University has five constituent colleges: Nizam College, University College of Science, Saifabad, OU-PG College, Secunderabad, and University College for Women (now Telangana Mahila Viswavidyalayam). Additionally, there are three PG Centres at Mirzapur (Medak district), Jogipet, and Narasapur, about 60 private and government-affiliated colleges offering M.Sc. Chemistry, and 250 degree colleges offering B.Sc. courses.
Research in the department began modestly in 1935 under Professor M. Qureshi, Professor of Physical Chemistry and the then Head of the Departmen with focus in the areas of photochemistry, colloids, magnetic susceptibility measurements, kinetics of solvolytic reactions, and electrochemistry. Initially located in temporary buildings, the department moved to its current premises in 1947, providing ample space for teaching and research in various chemistry branches. Prof. Syed Hussain led the department from 1947 to 1953, with Prof. N V Subba Rao succeeding him in 1953. Under Prof. Subba Rao's leadership (1953-1976), the department made significant progress in Organic, Inorganic, and Physical Chemistry. After his sudden demise in 1976, Prof. V. R. Srinivasan and Prof. T. Navneeth Rao led the department, further enhancing its teaching activities. Prof. T. Navneeth Rao became Rector in 1983 and Vice-Chancellor in 1985. The department has flourished in the rich traditions set earlier by Prof. N. V. Subba Rao and Prof. T. Navneeth Rao and carefully nourished by latter heads of the department(List of the Luminaries). Since November 2023, the department has been headed by Prof. B Manohar.
The department began teaching Chemistry at the B.Sc. level in 1917 and M.Sc. Chemistry in 1928. B.Sc. teaching was discontinued in the university department in 1972 due to the rise of degree colleges in Hyderabad, Secunderabad, and District centers under Osmania University's academic jurisdiction. Post-graduate courses started at Nizam College and Warangal PG Centre in 1967, with Warangal PG Centre eventually becoming Kakatiya University. Post-graduate centers were later opened at Bhiknur (1976) and Mirzapur (1980) with specializations in agrochemicals and sugar chemistry, respectively. M.Sc. Chemistry courses were also introduced at Osmania University Women's College, Koti (1986), and Post-graduate College, Saifabad (1986), with various specializations. Anwar-ul-uloom College, Hyderabad, began offering M.Sc. Chemistry in 1991.
In addition to the usual subject specializations like organic, inorganic and physical chemistry in M.Sc. final year, the department introduced new specializations in Physical-Organic Chemistry, Physical-Inorganic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Pharmaceutical Chemistry in the M.Sc. final year. Special elective papers in areas like natural products, medicinal chemistry, dyes, drugs and intermediates, bio-organic chemistry, bio-inorganic chemistry, solid-state chemistry, catalysis, photochemistry, nuclear fuels, explosives, polymers, environmental chemistry, and biophysical chemistry were also introduced. A course in computer programming basics was added at the M.Sc. (Previous) level in 1990-91.
Classroom teaching and laboratory training are conducted by expert faculty, incorporating the latest developments in the areas of Chemistry. The laboratories are equipped with instruments like Powder XRD, Absorption & Emission Spectrophotometer, UV and fluorescence Spectrophotometers, FTIR, Electrochemical Workstation, HPLC, Rotary Evaporators, Fume Hoods, C,H,N Analyser, Thermogravimetric Balance, Polarographs, and Flash Photolysis instruments. Students receive comprehensive training in both theory and practical experiments to prepare them for industry and academia.
The Departmental library holds nearly 11,000 text books, 5 foreign and national journals and houses more than 1000 thesis in different branches of chemistry.
All the staff members are actively involved in teaching and research. Apart from the regular activities, the faculty of the Department are actively involved in collaborative research and teaching with Department of Physics, biochemistry, microbiology, Genetics, CPMB, Botany, Zoology and research organisations. In the last five years, the department has received 19 major research projects worth 5 crores from UGC-CSIR, DST, DBT, and other funding agencies. It also received 3.5 crores in financial assistance from DST-FIST, UGC-SAP, UGC-CPEPA, and DST-PURSE. The department has published over 1,000 papers with impact factors ranging from 0.6 to 9.4. Faculty members have received prestigious fellowships, including FRSC, Cchem, Eur.Chem, C.Sci, and TAS. The Government of Telangana awarded the Best Teacher award to Prof. M. Vithal in 2016 and Prof. Vijjullatha. Prof. B. Sathyanarayana was appointed as a Committee Member for UGC regulations for maintaining standards in higher education in July 2017. Prof. M Vithal, Prof. Shivraj, and Prof. D Ashok were granted UGC-BSR fellowships under the Department of Chemistry from August 2017 to 2023.
Major research areas include heterocycles, natural product isolation, medicinal and green chemistry, organometallics, bioinorganic chemistry, DNA binding studies of metal complexes, nanomaterials, photocatalysis, biomass valorization, computational chemistry, molecular modeling, and drug design. Focussed areas are on synthesizing bioactive natural products, studying bioactive transition-metal complexes, examining the thermodynamic properties of conductive and thermoelectric materials, and exploring photochromic molecular sensors, bionanomaterials, dye-sensitized solar cells, and molecular modeling of signaling protein molecules.
The faculty are also involved in giving guest lectures, serving as selection committee members, governing body members, subject experts and as resource persons for conducting seminars, conferences and workshops in Osmania University, its constituent and affiliated colleges as well as at other state Universities and other research institutions.
Many of the senior faculty members rendered services in administration as Vice Chancellors, Registrars, Directors, Controller of examinations, Principals, Deans, Coordinators besides the functions of President, Secretary, executive members OUTA (Osmania University Teachers Association), TFUTA in various capacities thus contributing to smooth functioning of different activities at the University.
Student enrolment in post-graduate courses in chemistry progressively increased over the years and selection is now through a common entrance test. The intake of students in M.Sc.(Previous) was 12 until 1952 raised to 36 in 1970 and currently it is 72.
| Name of the College | Intake | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University College of Science | 72 |
| 2 | Nizam College | 72 |
| 3 | PG College of Science, Saifabad | 62 |
| 4 | PG Centre, Mirzapur | 20 |
| 5 | PG Centre, Jogipet | 20 |
| 6 | PG Centre, Narasapur | 20 |
| Grand Total | 286 |
The department is actively engaged in improving and modernizing under-graduate teaching. The UGC sanctioned the College Science Improvement Programme (COSIP), the University Leadership Project (ULP) to the department during 1970-71. The COSIP which ended in 1981 has helped the department to develop the expertise in teaching. Under this programme senior members of the department visited affiliated colleges in the city and districts every year for a day or two to give lectures to B.Sc. students and to discuss with the staff members on various problems connected with the teaching of chemistry. Five COSIP newsletters were printed to provide information about the activity of COSIP-ULP and distributed to all the colleges.
The tradition is carried forward through various UGC assisted schemes like DST-FIST.The class-room teaching and laboratory training are well planned and executed by the expert faculty of the department incorporating latest developments in the areas of Chemistry since its inception.
| S.No | Infrastructural Facilities | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Total number of class rooms | 5 |
| 2 | M.Sc Class rooms with LCD facility and smart boards | 5 |
| 3 | M.Sc Students laboratories | 8 |
| 4 | Staff rooms with desks, computers, cupboards & Lockers | 20 staff rooms +25 computers |
| 5 | Research Laboratories | 25 |
| 6 | Instrumentation Labs | 3 |
| 7 | Computer Networking Labs(Web Resources Viz.,Scifinder) | 2 along with 30 computers. |
| Broad band high speed Internet available with Wi-Fi facility for all staff and students |