Botany

The Department of Botany

About the Department

Established in 1972, the Department of Botany has vastly grown in stature and standard with time. The department has a dedicated and well qualified faculty, who besides teaching, have also been pursuing research. The major areas of their current research interests include Electron Microscopy, Stain Technology, Reproductive Biology, Ecology, Plant Pathology, Molecular Biology, Cellular and Molecular Cytogenetics, Phycology, Applied Microbiology, Environmental Biotechnology, Bioinformatics,  and Biophysics. Each faculty member has published several research papers in journals of national and international repute. They have, in addition, authored/edited a number of books/course materials for CBSE, NCERT and IGNOU. The faculty members of the Department have conducted a number of research projects sponsored by UGC, DST and Delhi University. This has led to better infrastructural facilities for the students.Various activities with active participation from students are presently underway under the aegis of DBT Star College Scheme. Apart from this, some faculty members are engaged in mentoring IIT scholars and recipients of Prime Minister’s Research fellowship (PMRF), who are available in the department to provide hands-on-training in microbiology to our undergraduate students.

        The non-teaching staff is helpful and cooperative. The students seeking admission to B.Sc. (Hons.) in Botany come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds from various places within and outside India. The Department provides them a comfortable environment for their learning and overall grooming for future careers. Students of the Department are actively involved in research at the undergraduate level under various Innovation Research Projects sponsored by the University of Delhi. They also participate in Summer Internship Programme in renowned labs such as National Institute of Immunology, Delhi and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

         The Department’s alumni have distinguished themselves as teachers and scientists in academic and research organizations in Government and Corporate sectors. In the last few years, significant infrastructural upliftment has occurred in the college in general and across all the science departments in particular. A new laboratory has been added to the Department of Botany in the new academic block that can accommodate about 40 students. Each of the three Botany laboratories is equipped with camera fitted microscopes that not only enables students to have a peep into the bewildering microscopic details of the cells, it also allows them to measure the dimensions of various cellular inclusions, making the learning process more enjoyable. The department also has a Central Instrumentation Facility having equipment used in molecular biotechnology and microbiology.

      The Department has a Botanical Society-'Sanjeevani' which organizes lectures by eminent botanists to keep the students abreast of the latest developments in the field of plant sciences. The endeavor is to inculcate interest and curiosity in them and to broaden their minds for a better understanding of the subject at the undergraduate level. It aims to prepare them for higher learning in specialized areas by providing them an insight into future career options. The society organizes visits to research institutes to provide theoretical knowledge as well as hands-on training to the students in research labs. The society also organizes field excursions to educate students about the natural habitats of diverse plant groups. Besides educating the students about various plants, it also provides an opportunity for social interaction among students and the faculty members, thereby creating a conducive environment for a more effective teaching-learning experience. During the annual festival ‘Inflorescence’, various inter- and intra-college events are organized to widen the horizons of their knowledge and also encourage them to improve their creative talent and skills.

FACULTY

1. Dr. K.K. KOUL, M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D., Associate Professor
2. Dr. RAJESH KUMAR, M.Sc., Ph.D., Associate Professor
3. Dr. D. MONIKA RAM, M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D., Associate Professor
4. Dr. RAVINDRA KUMAR, M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D., Associate Professor
5. Dr. VIVEK CHOPRA, M.Sc, M.Phil., Ph.D., Assistant Professor
6. Dr. DIVYA MOHANTY, M.Sc, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
7. Dr. GURUMAYUM SURAJ SHARMA, M.Sc, Ph.D., Assistant Professor