The Department of Botany was established in the year 1948 by introducing M.Sc. and Ph.D. programmes. It is one of the oldest science departments of the University. It was started with just 5 students and 3 teachers. The Department is bearing a brilliant history of its growth and development ever since its inception. At present the department has grown to accommodate 40 students in M.Sc. Botany and 10 students in M.Sc. Microbiology programme. In 1982, the Department also introduced M.Phil. Programme with 15 seats, but it has been discontinued since 2021 as per the guidelines of National Education Policy 2020, Govt of India. Approximately more than 500 Ph.D. students and 278 M.Phil students have obtained their degree on various topics which itself is the evidence of brilliant academic and research activities of the Department. The Department is housed in a building covering a space of  2008 sq. m. There are well equipped laboratories, museum, herbarium (GUBH accredited to New York Botanical Garden Steere herbarium), seminar hall and departmental library. The Department of Botany also has a Botanic Garden covering an area of 62 acres that harbour more than 500 plant species including some rare, endemic, endangered, threatened and medicinally and botanically important plants.

The Department of Botany of Gauhati University has been selected by the Department of Science & Technology, Govt of India for Financial Assistance under its Infra-structural Development for Science & Technology (DST-FIST Level-I) programme (2007-2012, 2019-2024). The Department has also been recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for its Special Assistance Programme (SAP) for perusing research on Diversity of rare, endangered and threatened (RET) plants of Assam - their microbial association and conservation.

 M.Sc. in Botany (CBCS) Syllabus: For details visit: https://syllabus.gauhati.ac.in/postgraduate

M.Sc. in Microbiology (CBCS) Syllabus: For details visit:  https://syllabus.gauhati.ac.in/postgraduate

Ph.D. Course Work Syllabus: For details visit: https://syllabus.gauhati.ac.in/phd-coursework

The Gauhati University Botanical Garden is one of the largest and oldest Botanical Gardens of the North East in particular and the country in general. The Garden was established on 28th August, 1955. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (the then Prime Minister of India), who inaugurated the main building of the Botany Department on 28th August, 1955, also dedicated this garden for service to the nation. In the year 1998, when the Botany Department celebrated the Golden Jubilee, The University Botanical Garden was renamed as Dr. H. K. Baruah Regional Botanical Resource Centre in memory of the founder Professor and Head of the Department, Late Professor H. K. Baruah, a legendary botanist of the country.

The Garden was developed with an objective to study the rich and diverse flora of N.E. India and to conserve the rare, endangered and threaten plant species of the region and at present, it is spread over an area of ca 62 acres situated in the hills and valleys of Jalukbari hills within the University campus at an altitude ranging from 213 to 247 ft msl. There are two natural ponds within the garden covering an area more than 1 acre which are replenished by a perennial water stream originating from the peak of the Jalukbari hills. The garden was funded in 1994 by the MoEF (Govt. of India) which was a turning point for its development and converting into an experimental garden.

The Resource centre houses around 500 species of phanerogamic and cryptogamic plants. Some interesting species are Nephenthes khasiana, Vanilla borneensis, Zammia furfuracea, Brainea insignis, Angiopteris helferiana, Dipteris wallichii, Blechnum orientale, Cycas pectinata, Taxus baccata, Agathis robusta, Rauvolfia densiflora, Rauvolfia serpentina, Rauvolfia tetraphylla, Flacourtia jangomas, Baccaurea ramiflora, Magnolia spp., Garcinia cowa, Garcinia lanceifolia, Garcinia pedunculata, Persea bombycina, Aquilaria malaccensis, Mesua assamica, Oroxylum indicum, Sapindus mukorossi, Dillenia indica, Elaeocarpus floribundus, Elaeocarpus ganitrus, Prunus jenkinsii, Elaeagnus latifolia, Phoebe goalparensis, Beilschmiedia assamica, Croton tiglium, Zingiber zerumbet, Curcuma caesia, Aristolachia ringens, Zeuxine strateumatica and many more. Some of the commonly found birds and animals in the Garden are monkey, cobra, python, lizards, butterflies, wood pecker, king fisher, robin, cattle egret, etc. Leopard i.e. Panthera pardus species is also often spotted in the Garden.

The Garden is regularly visited by students, teachers and researchers from different institutions of N.E. and other parts of the country. Foreign tourists visiting Guwahati city also make a point to visit this Gauhati University Botanical garden. The visitors, who wish to visit the garden, need to take permission from the Head, Dept. of Botany, Gauhati University. Collection of any bio-resource material from the Garden is strictly prohibited and punishable.   

The Herbarium of the Botany Department of Gauhati University (Acronym: GUBH) is accredited by the New York Botanical Garden Steere Herbarium since April, 2011 (For details, follow the link: http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/herbarium_list.php?NamOrganisationAcronym=GUBH)

It is one of the oldest herbaria in North East India having a collection of ca. 18,000 herbarium specimens especially representing the floristic diversity of North East India. Mention may be made that the herbarium contains several specimens which are more than a century old. Besides, more than 20 bamboo species, 200 varieties of rice and around 35 wood samples are also being displayed in the museum along with more than 150 other botanical specimens. The herbarium and museum is serving actively to the researchers working in the field of plant science research. The GUBH is a leading botanical collection in Assam as well as North-East India, with scientist and researchers from all over India as well as abroad visiting to study the herbarium samples.

Identification and authentication service has been provided (subject to the availability of local reference of herbarium specimens) to the researchers at the payment of Rs. 50/- per sample. However, proper herbarium specimen along with an application addressing the HoD should submit in the Department of Botany for said services.