The Department of Anthropology at the University of Delhi was founded in 1947 with the sole aim of undertaking holistic research and teaching in different aspects of human living. The first batch of students, admitted a year later, produced some of the finest anthropologists of international repute, who also contributed significantly to the administrative and corporate life of the University of Delhi. This department has always been a leader, declaring the agenda of research and teaching for others to have a close and learning look.

The Post Graduate Department of Anthropology was established in 1958, started functioning in a borrowed government building near the Old Convent School, Bhubaneswar, under the stewardship of Late Professor Dr. A. Aiyappan and later, in 1962 was shifted to the Utkal University Campus, Vani Vihar. The department is guided by its mission to educate students towards understanding and appreciation of human universals and diversities by imparting foundation and emerging areas of anthropological knowledge. It works to generate new knowledge by engaging in advanced interdisciplinary and collaborative research to promote academic growth and facilitate sustainable interaction with academia, civil society and industry. It also aims to bridge the gap between local and global human perspectives through fieldwork based anthropological inquiries.