The Department of Anthropology, Andhra University, established in 1961, is one of the premier University departments of India.  It was the first Anthropology department in South India. Initially, post-graduate teaching and research was offered only in Social Anthropology. Later, Physical Anthropology Specialization in 1969 and Prehistory specialization in 1970 were introduced. To-day, it offers post-graduate and doctoral programs in all branches of Anthropology.

    In its formative stages, it had the good fortune of getting nurtured under the able leadership of eminent anthropologists such as Prof. N.S.Reddy, Prof. Aiyyappan, Prof. M.R.Chakravarthi, who themselves were trained by renowned scholars such as Prof. D.N.Majumdar, H.D.Sankalia and F.Vogel. Prof. G. Golla Reddy, Prof. D. L. Prasada Rao, Prof. M. Kodanda Rao, and Prof. K.Thimma Reddy belong to the second generation of the faculty, who helped for the growth of the department.

    The department has a sound infrastructural base for pursuing teaching and research activities.  It is endowed with four laboratories- human cytogenetics laboratory, forensic& serology laboratory, molecular genetics laboratory, Paleo anthropological laboratory, an ethnographic museum with a wide collection of exhibits from various parts of the country, a library, audio-visual equipment, film archive and skilled human resources.

    Students for the four-semester postgraduate program in Anthropology are drawn from arts and science subjects admitted through a common entrance test held by the university. They are exposed in the fourth semester to a three week field-work in tribal areas to provide them first hand experience in data collection, analysis and report writing.

    The alumni of the department are occupying important positions in universities, research institutes, apart from State and Central governments and other organizations.  The department extends consultancy services for government and voluntary organizations.  It carries out activities such as genetic counseling, blood grouping tests, as part of extension activities and self sustaining efforts.

Research Activities:

    In the research arena, during the initial phases, benchmark studies have been conducted among the tribal and rural communities of north coastal Andhra and adjoining areas.   Later the research activities kept pace with the current developments in the discipline from time to time. So far 25 major and minor research projects are carried out by the faculty; 49 Ph.D. and 13 M.Phil Degrees were awarded since the inception the department, covering a wide variety of research topics of anthropological interest. The thrust areas of research, specialization-wise include:

Thrust Areas of Research:

    Socio-Cultural Anthropology: Tribal Development, Land Alienation, Tribal unrest, Tribal Education, Displacement and Rehabilitation, Social Gerontology, Cultural Ecology, Medical Anthropology, Dalits and Minorities, Development Anthropology, Communication Anthropology, Caste and Village studies, Leadership Patterns

Biological Anthropology : Genetic Demography, Evolutionary Genetics, Population Genetics, Bio –Chemical Genetics, Human Cytogenetics, Molecular Genetics, Physiological Anthropology, Nutrition & Growth, Forensic Anthropology,

Paleo Anthropology :  Ethno Archaeology, Environmental Archaeology

    The department has well-established linkages with universities, research institutions and other academic bodies both at National and International level.  Under academic exchange programs, quite a few among the faculty and doctoral students have visited USA, England, The Netherlands, France and Germany on academic pursuits.  Reputed scholars from many foreign universities have also visited the department.

    The Department has academic exchange and collaborative activities with agencies such as Anthropological Survey of India, UGC, DST, DOEn, ICSSR, ICHR, CSIR and ICMR, Ministry of Welfare. They were sources of funding for various research projects of the Department. The department has an on going collaborative research project with the University of Utah, USA, under which the Department laboratory is equipped with PCR facility for The DNA analysis.  It is also involved in an exchange program with Armstrong State University of Georgia, USA. Some teachers have been associated with the National Aids control organization, Ministry of Welfare, Government of India. A field station of the Anthropological Survey of India has been established in the department premises for better coordination and cooperation in research activities.

The department is poised to celebrate its Golden Jubilee in the very near future.

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