Department of Zoology

University of Delhi, India


The Department of Zoology was established as a premier centre of teaching and research in animal sciences in 1947 with Dr. M.L. Bhatia as the first head of the department . In 1963, it was recognized as the Centre for Advanced Studies(CAS) and continues to enjoy this status by special assistance of the UGC-SAP program. UGC extended its CAS status in 2011 by providing special assistance for another five years. The department has created a central-instrument facilitythrough the generous support of the University and also from DST-FIST programgrants.

In the 60 years of its existence, the department is credited for producing several post-graduate students and awarding nearly 550 doctoral degrees. Its alumni are doing exceptionally well as teachers and scientists at various universities and research laboratories in India and abroad. At present, the department has 186 M.Sc., 14 M.Phil. &101 Ph.D. students. The academic training imparted to the department’s M.Sc. students, equips them to enter doctoral programs of leading institutes in the country and abroad. The current research and teaching in the Department include various aspects of Animal Physiology,Entomology,Fish Biology,Immunology,Developmental Biology, Cell Signalling, Cell Biology, Radiation Biology, Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. Apart from teaching,the faculty has been publishing papers in peer-reviewed research journals. More than 53 papers have been published in last academic years. The department practices interdisciplinary research. Faculty members are presently collaborating with leading institutes of the country like CIFA (NFBSFARA Project), CIFE (DBT Project), CIFRI (NFBSFARA Project), DTU (DBT Project), DCFR, IMTECH, IARI,TERI,NEERI, IGIB, NII, NIHFW, ICGEB, NIT.

Faculty members have received many prestigious awards and honours. In 2007, two faculty members were elected as fellows of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Faculty members are also on the editorial board and/or adhoc reviewers for many prestigious national and international journals and members of project advisory committees (PAC) of DST and DBT. All faculty members have extramural funding for their research projects and the Department has international collaborations with Austria (FAO/IAEA), Germany(DST DAAD) project, Switzerland (Indo-Swiss), Indo-Mexican collaborative Project (DST-CIBNOR), Indo-Norwegian Project (Norwegian Embassy, NTNU), Indo-UK collaborative project (DBT-BBSRC).

The Department has been holding various workshops, symposia, conferences and other teaching courses to provide a platform for scientific exchanges. Keeping pace with time, the faculty members along with fellow colleagues from various colleges of the University revised B.Sc. Zoology (Hons) syllabus in 2003.Department organizes workshops for college teachers to make them adept with current trends in various aspects of animal sciences. Apart from teaching and research, the Faculty members are making substantial contribution to the University system in various capacities. Three faculty members hold senior administrative responsibilities in the University (Director-South Campus, Director-CIC and Dean-Examinations). To further strengthen teaching and research in the Department, an extensive renovation and up-gradation of teaching and research laboratories have been undertaken.

The department has made remarkable strides during the past 60 years and is committed to continue working hard for excellence in Science.


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Publication & Research Paper


  • Modeel,S. Negi , R K *, Sharma,M., Dolkar,P. Yadav,S. Siwach.S. ,Yadav,P. & Negi,T. 2024.A comprehensive DNA barcoding of Indian freshwater fishes of the Indus River system, Beas. Scientific Reports 14:2763 h|ttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52519-0.
  • Bharti, M., Nagar, S., Yadav, P., Siwach, S., Dolkar, P., Yadav, S., Modeel, S., Negi, T., & Negi, R. K. (2023). Taxonomy, distribution, biology and conservation of vulnerable snow trout Schizothorax richardsonii (Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae: Schizothoracinae) in the Himalayan and sub-Himalayan region: A review. Iranian Journal of Ichthyology, 10(1), 8–27.
  • Sharma, M., Singh, D. N., Uttam, G., Sharma, P., Meena, S. A., Verma, A. K., & Negi, R.K. (2023). Adaptive evolution of Sphingopyxis sp. MC4 conferred degradation potential for persistent β-and δ-Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 132545.
  • Thomas, Sharon, Jaspreet Kaur, Robinsh Kambhoj, Swati Thangariyal, Rahul Yadav, Kamlesh Kumar, and Narender K. Dhania. "Investigate the efficacy of size exclusion chromatography for the isolation of extracellular vesicles from C. elegans." Journal of Chromatography B (2023): 123982.
  • Shrivastava NK, Yadav A, Rauhila N, Khati M, Farand AK and Shakarad MN. 2023. The molecular underpinnings of body size regulation: Transcriptional changes in foxo and mTor in Drosophila melanogaster selected for fast development. Gene Reports. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genrep.2023.101841
  • Rana M, Bajaj D, Choubey P, Jain S, Basu-Modak S. Altered Expression of Heme Oxygenase 2 in Heme Oxygenase 1–deficient Mouse Embryos. Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry. 2023; doi:10.1369/00221554231189310
  • Jain S and Shakarad MN. 2023. Adoption and foster parenting- an evolutionary enigma? Ethology, Ecology & Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2023.2225032
  • Singh R, Kaur S, Yadav S, Bhatia S, Gonadotropins as pharmacological agents in assisted reproductive technology and polycystic ovary syndrome, Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism (TEM, Cell press), 2023;34(4):194-215.
  • Shrivastava NK and Shakarad MN. 2023. Correlated responses in basal immune function in response to selection for fast development in Drosophila melanogaster. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, DOI:10.1111/JEB.14176.
  • Namgial T, Singh A K, Singh N P, Francis A, Chattopadhyay D, Voloudakis A and Chakraborty S (2022) Differential expression of genes during recovery of Nicotiana tabacum from tomato leaf curl Gujarat virus infection. Planta 258(2): 37.
  • Jain S, Chuphal B and Shakarad MN. 2023. Effect of financial independence of Indian women on their marriage decisions. Social Evolution & History, 22(1): 125-144. DOI: 10.30884/seh/2023.01.06
  • Maurya SK, Gupta S, Mishra R (2023) Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of microglia in maintenance of brain homeostasis and neurodegeneration. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience., DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1072046, ISSN: 1662-5099 "
  • Lata, P, Bala K, Goel P, Sood U, Hira, P, Dwivedi V, Kumar A, Rawat C.D and Lal R. 2022 Microbiome and Plant Health Indian J. Plant Genet. Resour. 35(3): 355–359 (2022) DOI 10.5958/0976-1926.2022.00099.7
  • Goel, P., Garg, N., Lata, P., Kumar, R., Bala, K., 2022. Gut microflora and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A review Microsphere 1: 61-70
  • Sood, U., ..... Lata, P.,.... Kalia, V.C and Rup Lal, R. 2022. Microbial journey: Mount Everest to Mars. INJM EMID:51647f1f461dde99
  • "Maurya SK, Mishra R (2022) Co-expression and Interaction of Pax6 with genes and proteins of immunological surveillance in brain of mice. Neurotoxicity Research., https://doi.org/10.1007/s12640-022-00562-y, ISSN: 1476-3524 (Online) "
  • " Maurya SK, Baghel MS, Gaurav, Chaudhary V, Kaushik A, Gautam A (2022) Putative role of mitochondria in SARS-CoV-2 mediated brain dysfunctions: a prospect. Biotechnology & genetic engineering reviews, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/02648725.2022.2108998, ISSN: 2046-5556 (Online) "
  • Jain S and Shakarad MN. 2023. Adoption and foster parenting- an evolutionary enigma? Ethology, Ecology & Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2023.2225032
  • Namgial T, Singh A K, Singh N P, Francis A, Chattopadhyay D, Voloudakis A and Chakraborty S (2022) Differential expression of genes during recovery of Nicotiana tabacum from tomato leaf curl Gujarat virus infection. Planta 258(2): 37.
  • Singh R, Kaur S, Yadav S, Bhatia S, Gonadotropins as pharmacological agents in assisted reproductive technology and polycystic ovary syndrome, Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism (TEM, Cell press), 2023;34(4):194-215.
  • Shrivastava NK and Shakarad MN. 2023. Correlated responses in basal immune function in response to selection for fast development in Drosophila melanogaster. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, DOI:10.1111/JEB.14176.
  • Jain S, Chuphal B and Shakarad MN. 2023. Effect of financial independence of Indian women on their marriage decisions. Social Evolution & History, 22(1): 125-144. DOI: 10.30884/seh/2023.01.06
  • Maurya SK, Gupta S, Mishra R (2023) Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of microglia in maintenance of brain homeostasis and neurodegeneration. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience., DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1072046, ISSN: 1662-5099 "
  • Lata, P, Bala K, Goel P, Sood U, Hira, P, Dwivedi V, Kumar A, Rawat C.D and Lal R. 2022 Microbiome and Plant Health Indian J. Plant Genet. Resour. 35(3): 355–359 (2022) DOI 10.5958/0976-1926.2022.00099.7
  • Goel, P., Garg, N., Lata, P., Kumar, R., Bala, K., 2022. Gut microflora and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A review Microsphere 1: 61-70
  • Sood, U., ..... Lata, P.,.... Kalia, V.C and Rup Lal, R. 2022. Microbial journey: Mount Everest to Mars. INJM EMID:51647f1f461dde99
  • "Maurya SK, Mishra R (2022) Co-expression and Interaction of Pax6 with genes and proteins of immunological surveillance in brain of mice. Neurotoxicity Research., https://doi.org/10.1007/s12640-022-00562-y, ISSN: 1476-3524 (Online) "
  • " Maurya SK, Baghel MS, Gaurav, Chaudhary V, Kaushik A, Gautam A (2022) Putative role of mitochondria in SARS-CoV-2 mediated brain dysfunctions: a prospect. Biotechnology & genetic engineering reviews, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/02648725.2022.2108998, ISSN: 2046-5556 (Online) "
  • "Maurya SK, Gupta S, Bakshi A, Kaur H, Jain A, Senapati S, Baghel MS (2022) Targeting mitochondria in the regulation of neurodegenerative diseases: A comprehensive review. Journal of Neuroscience Research 100(10):1845-1861, ISSN: 1097-4547 (Online). "
  • Shrivastava N K, Chauhan N and Shakarad MN. 2022. Heightened immune surveillance in Drosophila melanogaster populations selected for faster development and extended longevity. Heliyon, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12090.
  • Shrivastava N K, Farand A K and Shakarad MN. 2022. Long-term selection for faster development and early reproduction leads to up-regulation of genes involved in redox homeostasis. Advances in Redox Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arres.2022.100045
  • Bakshi, A. and Rai, U (2020). Reproductive phase-dependent variation, sexually dimorphic expression and sex steroids-mediated transcriptional regulation of lep and lepr in lymphoid organs of Channapunctata. Scientific Reports. 10:999.
  • Chahal N, Geethadevi A, Kaur S, Lakra R, Nagendra A, Singh R. Direct impact of gonadotropins on glucose uptake and storage in preovulatory granulosa cells: Implications in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome, Metabolism: Clinical and experimental (Elsevier). 2021;115:154458, 1-15.
  • Kaur S, Gouri Devi M, Singh R. Effect of body mass index on the biochemical outcome after fresh embryo transfer in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) J Pharmaceutical Negative Results (Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, Open access, Scopus ISSN: 0976-9234, 2229-7723). 2021;12 (01):74-79.
  • Singh R, Mehul D, Singh G, Kumar R, Bhatia S. Gender-based differences in coronavirus disease 2019: Hormonal influencers of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus receptors and immune responses. Journal of Reproductive Healthcare and Medicine (JRHM, Scientific Scholar, India and US ISSN (Print): 2768-1106, ISSN(Online): 2768-1114). 2021;2 (17):1-10.
  • Yadav S, Ahamad I, Bhatia S, Gouri Devi M, Singh R. Menstrual Irregularities in Adolescent Girls and Correlation with the Extent of Exposure to Plastics: A Case-Control Study. International Journal of Current Research and Review (IJCRR, Open access Medical Journal, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, Scopus) 2020;12 (24):229-235.
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