On 1st April, 2016 the UGC sponsored Women's Studies centre was established and within a fortnight a full-fledged independent department of Women's Studies was created. Women's Studies had a humble beginning offering PG Diploma course with two year M.A. programme in 2012. Since 2013 Ph.D. research programme started in Women's Studies The vision of the Department is to make a conducive environment for creation of gender equality in society. The mission is to work for women's empowerment in Bihar. Patna University is a premier institution of Higher Education in the state which produces and disseminates knowledge in keeping with the needs of the society. It is conscious of its responsibility to create awareness about women's issues in Bihar through teaching, research and dissemination. The Department of Women's studies will take up research projects and gender sensitization programmes on and off the campus. Women's studies is an interdisciplinary entrant in the arena of knowledge and focuses on womens life and struggle, questions women's subordination in socio-economic, political and cultural domains and strives for transformation of unequal society into one where gender justice and equality sought to be the norm. Women's studies has eminent teachers as well as guest faculty from various disciplines. Women's studies has been organizing programmes such as Seminars, Workshops, Lectures, Debates and Conference etc., from time to time. P.G. Department of Women's Studies is a brainchild of Prof. Bharti S Kumar, former University Head, Department of History, Patna University. Prof. Padmlata Thakur had the distinction of becoming the first Head of the department. At present Prof. Pramod Kumar Poddar, Head of the Department of History, B.N. College heads the Department of Women's Studies. Role of Patna University in Women's Empowerment: Patna University has played an important role in the awakening and empowerment of women in India which is evident from the examination section records of the University. Ms Shailji Prasad bearing roll no. 97 and registration no 3573-17 was the first woman who graduated from Patna University in 1919. Thereafter, there was no girl student until 1925 when Ms Shobhna Gupta passed with distinction in the Faculty of Arts. Thereafter girl students were regularly enrolled in Patna University. Rank Holders in Last five years in various U.G. Courses: Year No. Of Girls No. Of Boys Total Rank Holders 2017 33 7 40 2016 33 08 41 2015 27 10 37 2014 31 10 41 2013 29 14 43 After 100 years of its foundation the university has a large number of women students in different colleges, P.G. departments and institutions. There are three women's colleges having nearly ten thousand students and the proportion of girl students is nearly 60%. The following table shows a list of toppers at the graduate level and it is quite evident how girl students have performed with excellence. Women have also performed brilliantly in the Post Graduate courses.

First Coordinator: Professor Bharati S Kumar and

Present Director: Dr. Surendra Kumar