The Major thrust areas of the departmental teaching and research program are:- i. Socio- Cultural Anthropology (Ethnographic Researches, Peasant Society studies, Tribal & Rural Development, Mass Media, Visual Anthropology and Museumology, Linguistic and Economic Anthropology), ii. Physical and Biological Anthropology (Evolutionary Anthropology, Human Genetics, Anthropometric Variations, Dermatoglyphics, Serology, Genetics Diversity of Mankind in India, Physical Growth & Nutrition, Reproductive and Child Health), iii. Medical Anthropology (Indigenous Healthcare System, Tribal and ethno Medicine, Anthropo-therapy, Epidemiology, Medical Pluralism, etc.), iv. Forensic Science (Forensic Anthropology, Fingerprint and Document Examination, Forensic Photography, Forensic Biology and Serological studies, Facial Reconstruction, Biometrics, etc), and v. Human Ecology and Development (Human Ecosystems, Climatic Change, Rural and Urban Planning, Disease Ecology, Population Structure, Agriculture Research).
Ethnographic museum of the Department of Anthropology has contributed a lot in enriching the name and fame of the department at global level during the days of late Prof. D. N. Majumdar who took personal interest in promoting and strengthening the museum. The museum has more than 3000 cultural items and prehistoric stone tools etc. collected from all tribal areas in India and some areas of cultural significance abroad. Exhibition of the same are held from time to time and greatly appreciated by national and international scholars. The photography section of the museum is an added feature recently constructed and rejuvenated. It has been the mission of the department right from the beginning to produce a very large portion of the work force so that Indian anthropology has a major contribution to make in the world scenario. With a view to achieving the above objectives, the teaching programme in the department has been constantly updated for quality and contemporary issues in the subject. Each year, the department sends a team of students of M.A. / M.Sc. Semester III, Social and Physical Anthropology group to a tribal area for thoroughly and fully supervised field work. The students are trained to collect ethnographic, biological and population data through in-depth and intensive field work. They are trained in anthropological research techniques. This is the first step for the bio-social research and many students take up full-length research projects after this exposure and training. Now in all 40 theory papers, 14 practicals and one in-depth field work for anthropology students and one project assignment for forensic science students are being taught by 03 Permanent / Regular and 15 Guest Faculties with the help of one Ethnographic Museum, four laboratories and one Library. The research programs are being taken care of by one Research Awardee and 19 post-doctoral Fellows and Research Fellows sponsored by Govt. agencies like UGC, ICSSR, DST, ICMR etc. Its 12 ministerial and other personal staff is pivot in sustaining a better environment of teaching and research today.
The Post Graduate and Doctoral Research students are trained for physical and biological anthropological research. They get the opportunity to use sophisticated tools of statistical and laboratory data analysis, in the preparation of the resultant research/field report. Through the various research projects undertaken by the teaching faculty in the department, the department has kept constantly in the forefront of current research in the social and biological sciences. A few prominent of them are:
i. Kanpur Social Survey. Research Programme Committee of the Planning Commission
ii. Enquiry into the problems of rehabilitating the ex-criminal tribes of Uttar Pradesh. Department of Harijan and Social Welfare (UP Govt.)
iii. Jaunsar Bawar Culture Change Evaluation Project. Research Programme Committee of the Planning Commission
iv. Dudhi Rural Project. (Lucknow Cornell Research Scheme and Programme Evaluation Organization, Planning Commission).
v. Survey of Unemployment among the educated.
vi. Enquiry into the living conditions of Harijans.
vii. Growth Studies among Children Indian Council of Medical Research
viii. Socio-economic Development among the Six Districts of eastern U.P. research and Planning Committee of Planning Commission.
ix. A Study of relation between dental and chronological age and somatometric parameters among children of Lucknow. Indian Council of Medical research.
x. Projects in Radio-education for adultery literacy. National Literacy Mission through the ISRO, Ahmadabad
xi.
xii. UP state Health & Development Project
xiii. A Project on Cable Viewers among Urban population of Lucknow and Kanpur.
xiv. News viewership among the urban population of Lucknow.
xv. Swajal Project. xvi. Centre of Excellence (Centre of tribal Research & Indigenous Knowledge Systems).
In addition to above the teaching & consultancy services are also offered for carrying out research projects, Photo Identification, Questioned Document Examination, Facial Profiling etc. for purposes of juridical pursuance in cases referred by law courts, police and various other investigating agencies to the department. In view of coping with current newer challenges of teaching, research and job opportunities the student’s club- Chetna, Jagriti, Pragati, Sadbhavna, Sahas and Samadhan are made to establish a venture for interaction with alumni of the department. The Molls with other institutions, forensic Laboratories, and Placement Cell has been designed to address all such issues apart from consolidating our core zones.