The Department of Politics and Governance at the Central University of Kashmir was established in 2013. The goal of the department if to explore new ideas, question old ones with academic rigour with respect for multiple perspectives. The department seeks to engage with difficult issues of the present with an objective to cultivate inter-community harmony and provide answers for gaps in the knowledge within the discipline of political science, specifically with a focus on the region. The department currently offers a Masters in Political Science degree and a Doctorate in Political Science programme.

The M.A. Political Science programme provides a platform for students to refine their skills of inquiry and critical thinking, thereby fostering intellectual development such that they can excel in any career of their choice in future. The department plays an instrumental role in the School of Social Sciences. It also enriches other departments by offering different skill development courses. Apart from familiarizing the students with classical theories in philosophy, it also engages with contemporary academic debates and since its inception has emerged as a place for in-depth research and also as a hub for crafting future researchers. The department has cultivated linkages with academics, research institutions, think tanks, civil society organisations and public intellectuals in India and abroad. These networks are utilised in the form of guest/extension lectures, interactive sessions, and workshops so that new avenues are opened up for the students to develop further engagement for regress academic research that contributes to the society. The department engages with all the core areas of Politics & Governance that include Political Theory, Political Philosophy, Institutions and Practices in India and Jammu and Kashmir, Social Movements in India, Foreign Policy of India, Comparative Politics, Peace and Conflict studies, International Relations Theory and International Law as well as Research Methodology to equip students with the knowledge required for further research. The special focus of the department is International Relations with specific stress on South Asia.

At present he Department of Politics and Governance has faculty members from diverse research backgrounds - Political Theory, International Politics, Gender, Indian Politics, Human Rights and Kashmir Politics.