Department of Botany

Department of Botany

Department of Botany established in the year 1971, is one of the leading departments of Padmashri Vikhe Patil College which conducts academic programmes at UG, PG and Research level with the support of twelve teachers of whomsixare Ph.D and two are M. Phil. It is recognized as a star department by UGC (2007) and is also sponsored by DST under FIST program.

Under graduate courses are offered under restructured, general and vocational streams with Botany as special subject at third year.

Nursery development and Horticulture which are the job and skill oriented courses coupled with project work forms an attractive interdisciplinary component of restructured stream offered to the students from Science as well as Arts faculty.

In 1986 PG programme was introduced on self-financing basis to help the rural students to pursue higher studies and fulfil their dreams.

Considering the infrastructural facilities and staff available for the students to pursue Ph.D studies, Savitribai Phule Pune University has approved our department as a research centre in 1989. So far forty eight students have been awarded with doctoral degree from this centre and sixteen students are doing research work under the supervision of six research guides in the areas of mycology, seed pathology, phycology, plant breeding, ethnobotany, bio-fertilisers, medicinal plants etc.

The department has introduced Seed Technology Course in 1994 under the Vocationalisation of first degree education scheme sanctioned by UGC which has fetched employment to most of the students in reputed seed industries. At present this course is totally self-financed.

The staff members are actively engaged in research and extension activities. A good number of research papers 52 have been publishedin peer reviewed National and International journals and also presented in the seminars, conferences since previous assessment by NAAC.

Recently, Dr. R. D. Borse, Dr. M. N. Kharde and Dr. A. S. Wabale presented their individual research papers in the FAO/IAEA International Symposium on Plant Mutation Breeding and Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria, on 27th August-31st August 2018.

Nine minor research projects with a total outlay 1660000 INR funded by UGC-WRO, BCUD SPPU and two major research projects with an outlay of 1446300 INR were successfully completed.

At present one major research project with a total outlay of 1250000 INR funded by UGC is being carried out. All this stand a testimony to the enhancement of research activities and continuous involvement of staff in research work.

So far the department has organised five National level seminars/conferences, one refresher course in Environmental Science and eight university level workshops. The department received in all 216 abstracts for the recent National Conference held during 9thand 10thDecember, 2016. The full length papers received for the conference are published in Advances in Bioresearch (An international peer reviewed journal).

The department has collaboration with Seed industries, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Pravaranagar, Society of Education Agra, Council of Research and Sustainable Development, Agra for academic and research activities.

There are six laboratories in the department out of which three laboratories are exclusively for under graduate students, two for post graduate students and one for the research students. All the laboratories are well equipped with modern instruments purchased out of grants provided by Education Society, UGC, DST, DBT and Savitribai Phule Pune University for development and research projects.

The botanical garden is well maintained with ex situ conservation of some rare, endangered and medicinal plants collected from Western Ghats. Such plants are multiplied and planted at different places in collaboration with forest department and taken care of by the department as an extension activity. Polyhouse constructed with the financial assistance from Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India is an attractive feature of the department. Cactus house and Nursery are the unique features of the department.

Department has a library consisting of 287(UG), 94text and reference books (PG) and 12 research journals subscribed by the staff.

Two staff members are on the editorial board of International Journal of Plant Sciences, Muzaffarnagar and Advances in Biological Sciences, Agra. Some are life members of International Journal of Plant Sciences, Muzaffarnagar and Advances in Plant Sciences, Muzaffarnagar, Asian Journal of Experimental Biological Sciences, Agra and Journal of Indian Botanical Society.

One staff member was honoured with the young scientist award by the Society of Applied Sciences, Agra in the year 2009 and awarded with the Certificate of Excellence by Academy of plant Sciences, Muzaffarnagar and Society of Applied Sciences, Agra in the year 2008 respectively. Another teacher was awarded with Certificate of Excellence by Society of Applied Sciences, Agra in 2009. Four staff members are honoured with the fellowships by various academic societies. In 2016, Dr. K. J. Salunke, senior faculty member was awarded with Life Time Achievement Award by Society of Education, Agra.

The department is enriched with learning resources such as charts, museum specimens, slides, power points, models, herbarium and modern facilities like computers, internet, LCD which help the students in independent learning.

Programme