The scientific study of mind and behaviour — running the College Counselling Cell and serving 160 undergraduate students.
An introduction to our history, our teaching philosophy, and the scholarly tradition we work within.
The Department of Psychology has been running since 2013 and offers a three-year undergraduate B.A. programme with 160 seats. The Department has two faculty members — Dr Radhika Gupta and Dr Puneet Kaur Virk — both holding advanced diplomas in Counselling and Guidance and with publications in peer-reviewed journals. Dr Gupta holds an additional certification in AI and Machine Learning and is trained in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Art Therapy. Dr Virk holds a Ph.D. from the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology and has published in SSCI- and Scopus-indexed international journals, with research interests spanning personality, narcissism, empathy and projective testing.
A distinguishing feature of the Department is that it runs the College Counselling Cell, providing structured psychological support to students across the institution — bridging the curriculum with applied practice.
Teaching draws on case-based learning, field visits, peer learning and classroom activities alongside lectures. The aim is to give students working familiarity with psychological concepts, not just theoretical exposure. Graduates go on to postgraduate programmes in Psychology and allied fields; those who specialise in Organisational Behaviour are prepared for corporate HR roles.
Educators and researchers who shape the academic life of the department.
Two faculty members, both with doctoral qualifications, advanced diplomas in Counselling and Guidance and a strong record of publications in peer-reviewed journals. Click any card to view a full profile.
Undergraduate, postgraduate and add-on courses offered by the department.
Three-year undergraduate B.A. programme with Psychology, with 160 seats. Teaching draws on case-based learning, field visits, peer learning and classroom activities alongside lectures. The curriculum gives students working familiarity with psychological concepts, with options to specialise in Organisational Behaviour for corporate HR roles. Graduates progress to postgraduate programmes in Psychology and allied fields.
Lectures, seminars, workshops, field trips and student-led work that extend learning beyond the classroom.
A structured parent-interface session organised by the College Counselling Cell on April 4, 2026 to strengthen the parent-student-counsellor dialogue and align expectations on student wellbeing.
A screening of the film Sybil (1976) on February 24, 2026, followed by a faculty-led discussion on Dissociative Identity Disorder — an applied case study in clinical psychology and an illustration of how popular media depicts complex mental-health conditions.
An industry-cum-educational visit to the Infosys campus, IT Park, Panchkula on November 25, 2025 to expose students to industrial-organisational psychology applications, the corporate work environment and HR practices.
Awareness campaign on August 26, 2025 — a continuation of the public awareness drive earlier organised on August 29, 2024 — aimed at sensitising students and the wider campus community to the rights, identities and lived experiences of transgender persons.
On August 23, 2025, in collaboration with Sohana Hospital. Combined gender sensitisation and preventive healthcare with talks on Deconstructing Gender Norms: Pathway to Social Transformation and Digital Detox, alongside a free mammography screening camp for female faculty.
A mental-health help desk staffed by the Department and the Counselling Cell at ECOFEST, March 10–12, 2025, providing on-site counselling support, awareness materials and one-to-one consultations during the festival.
A week-long mental-health awareness campaign in collaboration with the Institution Innovation Cell and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) from August 12–20, 2024.
A panel discussion organised on March 5, 2024 to commemorate International Women’s Day, addressing themes around gender, mental health and the everyday lives of women across professional and social spaces.
A practical session on January 8, 2024 exploring graphology and the connections between handwriting features and personality — supplementing classroom learning on personality assessment with a hands-on perspective.
Two-part initiative on January 6, 2024: a session on Substance Abuse Prevention by the Social Welfare Department, Chandigarh, and a Yoga Session for Mental Health organised with the VADA Club and NSS.
National Seminar on Sustainable Horizons — A Blueprint for Ecological Harmony and Holistic Wellbeing on November 22, 2023 — an interdisciplinary forum drawing together psychology, ecology and wellbeing perspectives.
A Rapid Response CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) workshop on September 1, 2023 for students — building first-aid and emergency-response skills alongside psychological first-aid awareness.
Photographs from departmental lectures, workshops and student competitions.
Awards, recognitions, funded projects and milestones earned by faculty and students.
A distinguishing feature of the Department is that it runs the College Counselling Cell, providing structured psychological support to students across the institution. The Counselling Cell bridges the curriculum with applied practice and reaches students well beyond the Department’s own classes.
Dr Puneet Kaur Virk has published two research papers in Web of Science SSCI international journals (Social Behavior and Personality, Impact Factor 1.3) and one Scopus-indexed paper on cognitive function and neural connectivity. Dr Radhika Gupta has authored 11 journal papers and 2 book chapters in peer-reviewed publications.
Dr Puneet Kaur Virk received the Indian Psychological Association President’s Gold Medal Award for her paper presented at the 3rd World Congress on Excellence, Panjab University Chandigarh in October 2015.
Dr Puneet Kaur Virk has been honoured with the State Award for Best NSS Volunteer (Chandigarh) 2013–14 and the Girl Star Award 2016 by the Chandigarh Administration for outstanding work in Health, Education and Social Work.
Dr Puneet Kaur Virk serves as a reviewer for Social Behavior and Personality (SSCI), Environment and Social Psychology (Scopus) and The Open Psychology Journal.
Dr Radhika Gupta holds a PG Certificate in AI and Machine Learning and brings computational approaches into psychological practice, alongside her training in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Expressive Art Therapy and Sports Psychology.
Graduates progress to postgraduate programmes in Psychology and allied fields. Those who specialise in Organisational Behaviour are prepared for corporate HR roles, supported by industry exposure such as the Infosys campus visit in November 2025.
Dr Puneet Kaur Virk’s heritage walk held on International Museum Day was the only walk selected from India to feature in the Annual Report Magazine of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) — an unusual recognition that links psychology with cultural-heritage education.
Laboratories, classrooms, libraries and learning resources that support our academic work.
A dedicated Psychology Laboratory stocked with standardised tests and assessment tools covering cognitive, personality and clinical domains. The lab supports practical coursework and student-led assessments conducted through the Counselling Cell.
The departmental Counselling Cell provides structured psychological support to students across the institution — an applied service that bridges the curriculum with practice and offers students supervised opportunities for assessment-based learning.
Reference collection of textbooks, journals and assessment manuals supporting UG teaching and student research in cognitive, personality and clinical psychology.
Smart classroom teaching, ICT-enabled pedagogies and audio-visual facilities supporting case-based learning, film screenings (including the recent screening of Sybil with a faculty-led discussion on DID) and interactive student presentations.
Papers, books, chapters and research projects authored by faculty. Click any entry to open the full PDF.
Office, email, phone, and Head-of-Department details.
