Department
The Department of Psychology has been part of Elphinstone College since the 1980s. With the founding of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University in 2019, Psychology was reopened as a full major; in 2024 the department welcomed its first postgraduate cohort and inaugurated the University Counseling Centre. Today the department runs undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes that attract applicants from across Mumbai, Maharashtra, and the rest of India.
About
Psychology at Elphinstone began under the wing of the Philosophy department in the early decades of the college. It separated into an independent department in the 1980s, and in 1987 Dr. Munawwar Ali became its first Head of Department — a position he held until 2005.
For most of the following decades the subject was taught as a part-major at the Third Year B.A. level under the University of Mumbai. Prof. Vilas Padhye was transferred to Elphinstone in 2018 and took over as Head of the Department. The next year, with the founding of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, Psychology was relaunched as a full undergraduate honours programme.
The first batch of Third-Year Psychology Majors graduated in 2022. The department was given its own laboratory space in 2023, and a comprehensive bank of standardised psychometric tests was procured. In 2024 the M.A. in Applied Psychology launched alongside the University Counseling Centre.
Our story
1980s
An independent department
Psychology separated from Philosophy to become a department in its own right at Elphinstone College.
1987
First Head of Department
Dr. Munawwar Ali became the first Head of the Department, a position he held until his retirement in 2005.
Until 2018
Part-major at TYBA
Psychology was offered as a part-major at the Third Year B.A. level under the University of Mumbai.
2018
New Head of Department
Prof. Vilas Padhye was transferred to Elphinstone College and took over as Head of the Department.
2019
Full major launched
With the establishment of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, Psychology was launched as a full major with six papers in the final year.
2022
First TY Major batch graduates
The first batch of Third-Year Psychology Majors passed out successfully — the inaugural cohort of the full undergraduate honours programme.
2023
Psychology Laboratory and assessment bank
The department got a dedicated laboratory space. World-class standardised psychometric tests were procured — MMPI, MCMI, WAIS, WISC, WRAT, WIAT, Rorschach, TAT, CAT, 16PF, NEO-PI, Bender-Gestalt — alongside a biofeedback machine, memory drum, and Muller-Lyer Illusion apparatus.
2024
Counseling Centre and the M.A. programme
The University Counseling Centre was established on the fourth floor. The M.A. in Applied Psychology (Clinical and Counseling Applications) launched the same year.
2025
Smart classrooms and a digital CogLab
The Cognitive Laboratory was equipped with ten laptops and Wi-Fi. Smartboards were installed in every classroom; classrooms, conference room, laboratories, library and counseling centre were air-conditioned. The Pearson Q-Global online assessment package was procured, with five dedicated tablets.
Today
A growing programme
Undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes attract applicants from across Mumbai, Maharashtra, and the rest of India.
Academics
A full undergraduate major in Psychology, covering foundational theory, research methods, and a final year of six specialised papers.
View syllabus (PDF)A postgraduate programme with a specialisation in Clinical and Counseling Applications, launched in 2024–25. NEP-2020 aligned, preparing students for professional careers.
Entrance: Psychology Master's Admission Test (PsyMAT), held annually in June.
View syllabus (PDF)A research degree for candidates pursuing advanced enquiry in psychology, in line with HBSU's doctoral norms.
A practice-focused training programme run by the Department in collaboration with the Counseling Centre — hands-on learning in psychometric testing, counseling practices, and basic therapeutic techniques.
All admissions follow government norms of reservation and merit. Visit www.hbsu.ac.in for current cycle details.
People
Prof. Vilas Padhye
Head of the Department · Registrar, Dr. Homi Bhabha State University
Prof. Vilas Padhye is the Head of the Department of Psychology at Elphinstone College and currently serves as Registrar of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, Mumbai. A SET-qualified educator with 28 years of teaching experience, he earned his PhD in 2012 for his thesis on teacher assessment by students in higher education in Maharashtra, and developed the Teacher Assessment Scale (TASC) now used across colleges in the state to generate student feedback. He has authored two books in Marathi — Manasshastra - Ek Parichay (Psychology: An Introduction) and Adhunik Samanya Manasshastra (Advanced General Psychology) — published fifteen research papers in national and international journals, and presented at four international conferences. He is a recognised research guide for the PhD programme in Psychology at Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, and currently leads the NIEPA-funded research project College Readiness and Student Success in Higher Education in Maharashtra: An Empirical Analysis. In 2006, he received the Rajiv Gandhi Prashaskiya Gatimaanta Puraskar from the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for excellence in administrative reform. Beyond academics, he is a committed wildlife conservationist and the writer-director of the award-winning animation film Let's Save Bobby, produced with support from the Blender Foundation (Netherlands) on the theme of tiger conservation.
Dr. Munawwar Ali became the first Head of the Department of Psychology in 1987 and led the department until his retirement in 2005.
Dr. Sheetal Bidkar
MA Clinical, Ph.D
Merul Gandhi
MA in Applied Psychology
Anushka Damani
MA Counseling, NET
Sanjana Mehta
MA in Applied Psychology, NET
Ruchira Vhatkar
MA in I/O, SET
Nidhi Bhandari
MA Counseling, NET
Bhavisha Nakashe
MA Clinical
Arima Bhatnagar
MA Clinical Psychology
Simi Susan Shibu
MA in Clinical Psychology, PG Diploma in Arts-Based Therapy
Jessica Sharma
MA Clinical, NET
Tanvi Sukhtankar
MA in Lifespan Counseling
Devanshi Doshi
MSc Clinical Psychology, PG Diploma in Counseling
Shubhangi Pingulkar
Counselor
Counselor, HBSU
Harshi Mamania
Trainee Counsellor
Junior Counselor, HBSU
Support
Inaugurated in August 2024 on the fourth floor, the University Counseling Centre logged more than 400 counseling sessions in its first academic year and trained 28 interns in 2024–25 (25 from the department, and 3 from SNDT Women's University and others). Its outreach reached over 30,000 individuals — including 736 people across Elphinstone, Sydenham, and the Institute of Science at the 2025 Suicide Prevention Day events, and around 400 students at Art of Assessment 2025.
The departmental library holds 135+ books, with 90+ issued by students in 2025–26. The most popular fields are Abnormal Psychology (17%), School Psychology (12%), and Counseling (11%).
Infrastructure
A dedicated space equipped with cognitive testing tools and experimental equipment for hands-on work in memory, attention, perception, and problem-solving.
A private, comfortable, and confidential environment where trained counsellors provide emotional support, guidance, and therapeutic services to students and staff.
Interactive digital displays enable multimedia presentations, real-time collaboration, and engaging instructional activities.
Comfortable, modern, fully connected spaces that ensure smooth digital learning, online research, and easy access to educational platforms.
A collaborative space designed for group conversations, brainstorming, and academic discussions.
Over 135 books across subfields of psychology — textbooks, reference materials, research articles, and psychological assessment manuals. Digital records are maintained in the SkooLib app.
Available for digital learning and academic productivity. Use is tracked through a systematic register for transparency.
MMPI, MCMI, WAIS, WISC, WRAT, WIAT, Rorschach, TAT, CAT, 16PF, NEO-PI, Bender-Gestalt — alongside a biofeedback machine, memory drum, and Muller-Lyer Illusion apparatus. In 2025 the Pearson Q-Global online assessment package was procured, with five dedicated tablets.
Student life
Nine student committees animate the department’s day-to-day work and host most of its public events.
Ovee Gokhale, Abha Khan
Two student team members work alongside the counselor to keep services accessible and welcoming — reaching out to new clients, scheduling sessions, and running day-to-day operations. They also drive outreach.
Dikshaa Sahu
The digital voice of the department — showcasing activities, achievements, and everyday moments through the Instagram page Sorted Psychos.
Tanisha Das
A space where creativity meets community. Members brainstorm, curate, source, design, and execute every event.
Hinal Mhatre
The departmental library holds over 135 books across subfields of psychology; more than 90 were issued by students in 2025–26. Founded this year to promote reading culture in the department.
Rakshita Palande
Masters students initiate and support undergraduate learning — revision sessions, supervised experimental psychology practicals, internal assessments, one-to-one mentoring for third-year undergraduates, and research/report-writing support.
Shreya Chaturvedi
Enhances academic resources — procuring and setting up laptops and tablets, installing research software, and tracking usage via a systematic register.
Khushi Garg, Anushka Dasgupta
Works in mental-health promotion across the community — school and college workshops, and large awareness campaigns on Suicide Prevention Day and World Mental Health Day.
First edition: October 2024
The department's magazine — a space for psychological reflection, student writing, and creative engagement with ideas from the classroom and beyond. Seven editions to date (see below).
Mili Dass
Curates the department's workshop programme — both student-led sessions (relaxation techniques, movement-based work) and guest-led ones (Sports Psychology, ACT, Indian approaches to wellbeing, 16PF, career guidance, psychoeducation, setting up private practice, and the Matheran nature-based field workshop).
Publications
The department’s magazine — psychological reflection, student writing, and creative engagement with ideas from the classroom and beyond. Select a cover to read the full edition.
Crowd, Control & Consciousness
Edition 7 · Jan–Mar 2026
What's Up With Gen Z
Edition 6 · Oct–Dec 2025
Pseudopsychology
Edition 5 · Jul–Sep 2025
The Age of Influence
Edition 4 · Jul 2025
Emotions
Edition 3 · Jan–Mar 2025
The AI Conundrum
Edition 2 · Oct–Dec 2024
Social Identity & Mental Health
Edition 1 · Oct 2024 · Inaugural
What we stand for
We listen to understand, not to judge. Every person is met with warmth, dignity, and unconditional regard.
Your story is safe here. We uphold high standards of privacy and ethical practice.
Therapy is a collaborative effort. Together we work toward self-awareness, resilience, and meaningful change.
We honour all identities, backgrounds, and life experiences. Our space is inclusive and affirming.
We hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethical care, continuous learning, and transparency.
Seeking help should feel easy, not intimidating. We aim to make mental-health support approachable, responsive, and stigma-free.
Reach us
Department of Psychology
156, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort, Mumbai
Constituent college of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University
Department phone / email: [CONTENT PENDING — to be entered in Strapi]
Content owned by Department of Psychology · Last updated [CONTENT PENDING — to be entered in Strapi]
