The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at VBS Purvanchal University, Jaunpur was established in 2018 with the appointment of three Assistant Professors under the leadership of Honourable Vice-Chancellor Prof. Raja Ram Yadav and Director, Prof. Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya) Institute of Physical Sciences for Study and Research. The department currently runs programmes of B.Sc. M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Geology. The department has competent and distinguished faculties with considerable teaching and research experiences in almost all branches of Geology: Mineralogy, Crystallography, Structure and Tectonics, Petrology (Igneous, Metamorphic and Sedimentary), Stratigraphy, Palaeontology (Invertebrate, Vertebrate, Micropaleontology, Palaeobotany), Geochemistry, Coal and Petroleum Geology, Hydrogeology, Economic Geology, Engineering Geology, Remote Sensing & GIS, Mineral Exploration & Geomorphology. 

Apart from teaching, the faculty members of the department are actively engaged in diverse research fields of Geology that vary from petrology, mineralogy and geochemistry of igneous and sedimentary rocks to palaeoclimatology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, remote sensing, geomorphology and seismology. The research in the department aims to integrate theory, modelling, experiments, measurements and observations so that to reach a full understanding of the geological problems. 

The department has a museum with a large number of specimens of rocks, minerals and fossils from type areas and other geologically important horizons in India and abroad. The department also has well-equipped laboratories with sophisticated instruments to support high-quality teaching and research like a high-temperature muffle furnace, vibratory sieve shaker, petrological microscope with camera setup and imaging software, stereo zoom microscope, ultrasonicate bath, fume hood, heavy mineral separation unit, weighing balances, jaw crusher, automated powdering machine and automatic weather station.

The UG and PG programme (Geology) in the department follows a rigorous semester system according to National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It possesses a 3+2-years (6+4 semesters). The education programme in ‘Geology’ was initiated with an impetus to generate a workforce that could turn into a substantially trained pool to meet the world’s demand for Geologists. Therefore, in tune with the “Training and Placement” cell of the University, the department looks forward to providing the best employment opportunities to the trained graduates, postgraduates and PhDs in in the premier geological organizations and institutions of the country and abroad including Geological Survey of India, Central Groundwater Board, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd, Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited, Coal India Limited, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation, Reliance Energy, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, Hindustan Copper Limited, Hindustan Zinc Limited, Bharat Aluminum Company, Ground Water Boards and Directorates of Geology and Mining of different States. In addition, we motivate students to take teaching and research as a career and join other national and international leading research laboratories as well as central/state academic institutions Universities/IIT/IISER/NIT etc. The department is also signing MoUs with industry and entrepreneurs and creating new educational opportunities for students.