To provide higher education for rural children, Ganndhgiram Rural Institute was initiated in 1956. In 1965, the department of Physics blossomed into an independent entity and was offering Diploma in Rural Services with Mathematics and Chemistry as allied subjects with Physics as core subject. The examinations were conducted by the National Council for Rural Higher Education, New Delhi and the DRS was awarded.

In 1976, the Gandhigram Rural Institute was elevated to the status of a Deemed University and the Department started offering and issuing B.Sc. Degree programme in Physics with Chemistry and Mathematics as allied subjects. Considering the need for offering the PG programme in Physics, the Department of Physics offered M.Sc. Degree programme in Applied Physics in 1987. This Degree programme was later in 1994 renamed as M.Sc. (Physics). The Department started admitting students to the Ph.D. programme in 1991 and M.Phil Degree in Physics during the academic year 2009-10 and thereafter.