The Dept. of Political Science was started in the year 1988. Apart from Post-Graduate course in Political Science, the Department offers M.Phil., and Ph.D., Courses. The Department is actively involved in research. It has undertaken various research projects in collaboration with National and International research institutions. The distinctive feature is that it has two study chairs. (a) Sri. Abdul Nazeer Sab Chair for the study of Panchayat Raj and Decentralization and (b) Sri. Shantaveri Gopal Gowda Chair for the study of Parliamentary Democracy. Under the auspices of these chairs the Department has organized number of Workshops, Seminars and Special lectures. Scholars of National and International repute have visited the Department. The Department is offering P.G. Programme through Choice Based Credit System since 2005-2006. Students in the four semesters study 20 papers with compulsory project work. The Department has collaborations with different reputed academic institutions, at the national level. It has collaborated with CSDS (Centre for Study of Developing Societies, Delhi), to conduct election surveys, CSCS (Centre for Study of Culture and Society, Bangalore) to organise Seminars and Conferences. At the International level the Department collaborates with Ghent University, Belgium and has taken up a research project, faculty members and research scholars of the Department have worked in this project. Another important outcome of this collaboration is that Kuvempu University is selected for the European Union’s Prestigious Asia-Link Programme. The faculty and research scholars are selected as core group participants of this programme. For the academic contribution and excellence in research, Kuvempu University has selected the Department as the best Department and awarded ‘Sadhana Puraskar’ award. The faculty of this department are actively involved in various extension activities of the University. Training programmes and workshops are frequently organized for the elected representatives and officials of Grama/Taluka Panchayats under the aegis of Shri. Abdul Nazeer Sab Chair and Shri. Shantaveri Gopala Gowda Chair sanctioned by the Government of Karnataka. M.A. in Political Science and Diploma in Panchayati Raj courses are also offered through distance mode.