The Department of Chemistry was established in 1951 (under Agra University, Uttar Pradesh) and became part of Kumaun University in 1973. Apart from being one of the most prestigious departments in the country that runs M.Sc. and Ph.D. programmes, it also offers courses in basic chemistry to undergraduate students. Some of the notable topics of research being undertaken by the faculty include topics from the fields of chemistry of natural products, soil chemistry, chemical kinetics, chemical evolution, nanomaterials and development of technology for waste plastic management, among several others. Not only is the expertise of the Department in above areas well recognized, the department is also well equipped with modern analytical facilities like GC, GC/MS, HPLC and FT-IR, DMS, TGA with financial assistance from NMHS projects and DST-FIST programme to enable research feasibility and continuity.

The Departmental library which is a Student’s Aid-Fund library acts as student’s own library to cater to the domain-specific needs of postgraduate and research students of the Department. The department not only organizes various guest lecture series by eminent scientists/professors for P. G. students but has also conducted several seminars, symposia, workshops and refresher courses. Officials from various pharmaceutical companies are invited to the Department for campus recruitment of final semester PG students as chemists. The teaching faculty of the Department has several major and minor research projects from UGC, CSIR, UCOST, USERC, DST and GBPI- IERP which have produced novel results. Having always been proactive towards its role in environmental sustainability, the department has developed new technology to transform waste plastic into useful products including graphine, a work that was recognized by the central government. The department is also involved in the waste management and working with Municipal Board of Nainital city.

Courses Offered:

At undergraduate level, it has a six semester degree course comprising of Inorganic, Organic, Physical and Analytical Chemistry including laboratory classes related to all of the aforementioned branches. The postgraduate course structure is of four semesters.

Number of seats in P. G. classes with specialization of the courses at DSB Campus, Nainital
1. Organic Chemistry : 20*
2. Physical Chemistry : 06*
3. Inorganic Chemistry : 06*

*The number of seats is interchangeable.

Important Projects going on in the Department:

1. Co-Ordinator and Co-PI: Prof. N.G. Sahoo, Prof. Anand B. Melkani, Dr. A. Dandapat; Partnership with Municipal Board of Nainital:A Multidimensional Remediation and Innovative Tailoring of Materialistic Waste (AMRITAM): An Innovative Approach for the Collection, Segregation and Upcycling of Solid Waste, Rs.`3.5 Crore, November 2019 - October 2022, GBPNIHESD, NMHS, Kosi- Katarmal, MoEF&CC.
2. Principal Investigator (PI): Prof. N.G. Sahoo; Co-PI: Prof. Anand B. Melkani, Prof. S.P.S. Bisht, Dr. M. Rana  "Smart Synthesis of Carbon Nanomaterial Along With the Production of High Value Added Fuel and Additives for the Concrete Mixture from WASTE PLASTIC", Rs.`2.24 Crore, April 2016- March 2020, GBPNIHESD, NMHS, Kosi-Katarmal, MoEF&CC.
3. Project Partner: Prof. N.G. Sahoo: for Sustainable Treatment, Reuse and Management for Efficient, Affordable and Synergistic solutions for Water (Water-IC for Sutram of Easy Water), in IIT Madras, Nodal Indian PIs. Prof. Ligy Philip and Prof. T. Pradeep, IIT Madras, Rs. 31.08 Lakh (For Kumaun University), 2018-2022.
4. Co-PI: Prof. N.G. Sahoo, Synthesis of hierarchical mesoporous WO3@MnO2/3D-RGO hybrid composite for high performance supercapacitor, Rs. 17.42 lakhs, MHRD, Govt. of India, Since June 2019.
5. Dr. Penny Joshi; Co-PI:To Establish a DNA- Barcoding and Chemotaxonomy Empowered Herbarium of Lichen-Species of Uttarakhand- Himalayan and Development of a Resource Group for Conservation and Characterization of Lichen-Biodiversity;
   Grant Amount: Rs 60.66 Lakh
   Agency: NMHS New Delhi
   Period: 2018-2021
   
6. Dr. Penny Joshi; Co-PI: DNA-barcoding of ethno-medicinal and high-value plants of Uttarakhand Himalaya and as sessment of anti-inflammatory nutraceutical potential of selected phyto-extracts; Grant Amount: Rs 9.97 Lakh
   Agency: DIBER (DRDO)
   Period: 2020-2021.
   
7. Prof. Chitra Pande -PI; Dr. Geeta Tewari-Co-PI: Sustainable approach for cleanup of metal polluted soils using basil species with respect to their genetic diversity, GBPNIHE & SD, Kosi, Katarmal, Almora; 9.95 lakh; 2017-2020.
8. Dr. Geeta Tewari-Co-PI: National campaign on Tinospora cordifolia (Amrita) for life,; Ministry of Ayush, NMPB, New Delhi, 18.90 Lakh; 2019-2020.