History

Year of Establishment : 1913

History of the department : Teaching in Botany began in the University of Calcutta in the year1913 under the headship of Dr. C. C. Calder, the then superintendent of Royal Botanical Garden. Prior to that in the year 1912, Sir Taraknath Palit donated a large part of his property for the foundation of University College of Science and Technology, presently named as Tarak Nath Palit Shiksha Prangan. That was the beginning of science teaching in Calcutta University, and then in 1913, Sir Rasbehari Ghosh donated a large sum of money for the creation of four chair professor posts, one each in Physics, Applied Mathematics, Chemistry and Botany. Prof. S P Agharakar was appointed as the first Ghosh Professor in Botany. Established in 1913, the PG Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, has been completed its Glorious 100 years and this century old Department is recognized for excellence in teaching and research in major areas of Plant Sciences in general. The Department has received funds from UGC [under COSIST Programme in two phases- 1984, 1989] and DST [FIST Programme 2004, 2010(Level 1)] in addition to funds received by faculty members individually or in groups from various funding agencies in form of major research projects.

The Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Botany, owes its inception to the cytogenetics laboratory of the Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, since Professor A.K. Sharma (the then Sri A.K. Sharma) joined this University in 1948 as Assistant Lecturer after the departure of Professor P.N. Bhaduri to Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, under whom he had his initial training in chromosome study in this university. Since then, the emphasis of this laboratory was focused towards innovation of new methods for chromosome analysis, from any organ of the plant. Since inception till date, the Centre has been holding programmes of regular workshops, seminars and Colloquia on different aspects of emerging areas of Chromosome Research for the benefit of teachers and researchers alike.

Since inception in 1980, the identified thrust area had been on Cell and Chromosome research. In the Phase VI, the review committee had expanded the scope of the programme with the identified thrust area as Plant genomics and Integrated Biology. As opined by Professor AK Sharma, FNA, in the First Meeting of Advisory committee (2011) of the CAS Phase VI programme, with introduction of integrative biology, all the faculty members who will be interested in working in an integrated programme of research will also participate. Prof. Sharma hoped that with the introduction of expanded thrust area, the tempo of research will gradually be expanded. The department has also received the approval of implementing CAS Phase VII program from April 2016.

The Department maintains a Botanical garden since inception, a treasure of plant wealth, conservatory of rare, endangered species, trees and shrubs which are witness of glorious era of the Botany Department, catering to the needs of young botanists of today, attended by skilled gardeners.

The Herbarium cum Museum in the Department is one of the oldest in the country and is being renovated under UGC-UPE programme.

Special award/ recognition from UGC or related statutory body: UGC CAS SAP PHASE VII (April 2016)

Thrust areas in teaching and research of the academic department/ centre :

• Plant Genomics, Chromosomal explorations and Plant Biotechnology
• Genotoxicity and Stress Biology
• Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Bioprospecting
• Integrative BiologyGenomics and Proteomics and Integrative plant biology

Teaching support

• E- learning
• Open educational resources.

Major activities:

• National Symposium on Plant Diversity: Structure, Function, Utilization and Conservation, organized jointly by CAS, Department of Botany and Botanical Society of Bengal during 4th-6th December, 2014, (Convener: Prof N.D. Paria).
• National Seminar on Genomic Perspectives of Host-Pathogen Interactions, held on 3rd December 2015, (Conveners: Prof. Sandip Mukhopadhyay and Prof. Rita Kundu).
• National Symposium on Microbial Diversity and Its Impact, jointly organized by Indian Mycological Society, Kolkata and Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, held during 18th 19th February 2016.
• Workshop on Chromatography: A technique for analysis of biomolecules from natural resources and agricultural crops, sponsored by Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, held during 5th -8th January 2016, (Convener: Prof. M. Poddar Sarkar).

Centenary Celebaration of the Department of Botany was commemorated with a year-long schedule of workshops in 2013-2014.

• Workshop on B.Sc. Practical, Centenary Celebration, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, held on 24th & 25th October, 2013, (Conveners- Prof. A.K. Biswas and Prof. Anita Mukherjee).
• Workshop on Cryptogamic Botany- from Curriculum to Application, Centenary Celebration, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, held during 19th- 26th November, 2013, (Conveners- Prof. R. Pal, Prof. K. Acharya and Prof. S. Bera).
• Workshop on Chromatography- the Catapult for Unraveling the Facts of Nature, Centenary Celebration, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, held on 26th & 27th December, 2013 (Conveners- Prof.. M. Poddar Sarkar & Dr. M. Bandyopadhyay).
• Workshop on Hands on Training on Palaeobotanical and Palynological Techniques, Centenary Celebration, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, held during 21st -28th April, 2014, (Conveners- Prof. S. Bera & Dr. A.D Rozario).
• Workshop on Basic Techniques on Molecular Biology, Centenary Celebration, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, held during 14th- 21st May, 2014, (Conveners- Dr. R.Kundu, Dr. M. Bandyopadhyay, Dr. S. Ray and Dr. S. Kundu).
• Workshop on Taxonomy and Biosystematics of Vascular Plants, Centenary Celebration, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, held during 14th- 21st July, 2014, (Conveners- Prof. N.D. Paria and Dr. D. Maity).
• International Symposium on Trends in Plant Science Research, Centenary Celebration, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, held during 15th-16th February 2014, (Conveners: Prof. Anita Mukherjee and Prof. Sandip Mukhopadhyay).

Additional information :

• New M.Sc. Syllabus implemented in 2015-2017 Session.
• New M.Sc. syllabus including inter-departmental (Biological Sciences) Choice-based course from 2016-2018 session.

Contact

Campus : Tarak Nath Palit Siksha Prangan

Address for communication : 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata-700019