The department was formally started in 1964 with Dr. B.K. Tandon as the Professor and Head of the department. The department conducts the under graduate and post graduate teaching. The intake capacity in under graduate classes is 180 and of post graduate it is 80. M. Phil. course is also run by the department. The sanctioned posts of the department are: Professor-1 , Associate professor-1 and Assistant professor -5. Presently 19 students are registered for Ph.D. in the department. The fields of research are mainly Demography, Urbanization, Poverty, Tourism, Tribal development and Socio-Economic Development. The department has always been active in research field. Presently two projects of ICSSR are going on in the department. The department has organised UGC workshops, conferences, national seminars, symposia many times.
The staff members have participated in state, national and international conferences and seminars and have also elected as executive members in various academic bodies. Presently, the department is also representing in All India and State level associations. The staff members have number of research papers at their credit which are published in various regional, national and international journals from time to time. Various extension lectures on current issues by eminent ~conomists have been organised by the department. The staff members have authored several popular research papers and many text books. The department has always been academically strong and active. Till now seventeen students have been selected in SLET/NET examination and of equal number are selected in various administrative services at state and national level.