The Department of Geology was established in the Panjab University in the year 1958. The Department was soon recognized for its contribution by the University Grant Commission (UGC) which raised the status of the Department to that of the Centre of Advanced Study (CAS) in Palaeontology and Himalayan Geology in the year 1963.The department has continued to get funding under SAP-CAS programme of UGC. The department has also received funding from the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India under COSSIST (1984-1989) and FIST (2002-2007) for improving the infrastructure in research and teaching.