Introduction
The Department of English is the first department established in the School of Languages (SOL), Central University of Kashmir. The Department provides an intellectually nourishing and conducive atmosphere to the students aspiring to undertake an in-depth study of English Literature as it offers a variety of courses covering all the major genres of English literature and the fundamentals of English language teaching. The choice-based credit system allows the students to choose from a variety of elective courses that are offered in addition to the core courses. A comprehensive continuous internal assessment system ensures a thorough development of the intellectual capabilities of the students.
Since its establishment, a few years back, the Department has progressed significantly. In a short span of time, it has carved a niche for itself as one of the most efficient departments in the university. The most defining feature of the department is that it has a committed, dynamic and dedicated staff. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it is because of their indefatigable efforts that the department has already burgeoned into one of the finest ones in the university. The young and ebullient staff of the department has constantly strived to take the teaching of English to an ever higher level. In keeping with this spirit, the teachers have tried to move beyond the traditional methods of teaching and have succeeded considerably in making the practice of teaching more innovative, interactive and student-friendly. One of the priorities of the department has been the procurement of quality books for the departmental library as a result of which it has grown into a repository of valuable books. The bonhomie in the department is exemplary with the teachers having an excellent rapport with each other. This congenial atmosphere has thus far served both as an encouragement and an inspiration to the students and enabled them to express themselves in proper intellectual terms. It has also led to a unique and unprecedented training and edification of the students. This, in turn, has borne immediate fruit in the form of the establishment of the departmental literary club and the regular maintenance of a wall-journal to which students from both semesters contribute on a monthly basis.
One of the stated aims of the department has been the development of literary and critical perception in the students which should ultimately enable them to place the major literary works of the world in a proper literary perspective. Such diligent and serious study, needless to say, is ultimately expected to transform the students into individuals that can make a difference to the society.
The Department also offers an integrated MPhil-PhD research programme under which eight scholars are currently pursuing their research in the Department while two scholars have already obtained their PhD research degrees.