Bhaben Tanti Head of the Department
MSc (Gauhati) PhD (Tezpur)
Professor
btanti[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
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 |
|||||
Course Type |
Course Name |
Subject |
Semesters |
Years |
Intake Capacity |
Postgraduate |
MSc in Botany |
Botany |
4 |
2 |
40 |
M.Sc. in Microbiology |
|||||
Course Type |
Course Name |
Subject |
Semesters |
Years |
Intake Capacity |
Postgraduate |
MSc in Microbiology |
Microbiology |
4 |
2 |
10 |
Ph.D. |
|||||
Course Type |
Course Name |
Subject |
Semesters |
Years |
Intake Capacity |
Doctoral |
Ph.D in Botany |
Botany |
As per UGC guidelines |
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.
Followings are the major thrust areas of research in the Department
a) RET plants, associated microorganisms and their conservation
b) Microbial diversity and applied microbiology
c) Plant-microbe interactions
d) Mycology and plant pathology
e) Plant diversity and systematics, Floristic study and Ethnobotany
f) Plant Ecology (Higher plant and algal ecology) and Climate Change
g) Tissue culture
h) Molecular biology and Nanotechnology
i) Stress physiology
j) Vermicomposting of biowaste
k) Phytoremediation and Bioremediation of toxic compounds and heavy metals
I) Phytochemical analysis
The Department has availed some of the research instruments through the funding of DST-FIST, UGC-SAP, and RUSA. Following equipments are available in the Departmental Instrumentation Facility (DIF) and accessible to all the researchers and students of the department.
1. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Make: Perkin Elmer, Model: PinAAcle 900F)
2. Dual beam (UV/VS) Spectrophotometer (Make: Agilent, Model: G6860AA-CARY60)
3. HPLC System (Make: Agilent, Model: 1260 Infinity)
4. Kjeldahl based Nitrogen Analyzer (Make: Pelican, Model: KELPUS KES06LR)
5. Multiscan Microplate Reader (Make: ThermoFisher, Model: Multiskan Sky with Touch Screen and µDrop Plate)
6. Plant Growth Chamber (Make: Hi Point, Model: 74OFHLED)
7. Grade-I Water Purification System (Make: Sartorius, Model: Arium Mini Plus UV Tab Water System)
8. Rotary Vacuum Evaporator (Make: Equitron, Model: EV11)
9. Refrigerated Shaker Incubator (Make: Orbitek, Model: LEBT-AH)
10. Deep Freezer (-80oC) (Make: Eppendorf, Model: Cryocube F570)
11. Refrigerated Centrifuge (Make: Sigma, Model: 2-16PK)
12. Mini Refrigerated Centrifuge (Make: Eppendorf, Model: 5430R)
13. Gel Documentation System (Make: Biorad, Model: EZ Imager)
14. Fluorescence Microscope (Make: Nikon, Model:)
15. Stereoscopic Zoom Microscope (Make: Nikon, Model: SMZ 745T)
16. Compact high-performance inverted microscopes (Make: Nikon, Model: Eclipse TS100)
17. Binocular Microscope (Make: Labomad, Model: CZM-4)
18. Flake Ice Maker (Make: Labman, Model: LMFI-30)
This unit has been created to manage the huge leaf litters which is generated within the Botanical garden and its premises. As the burning of leaf litters is not the solution for its management, the Department of Botany (G.U) has initiated strain-based biocomposting of leaf litters available in the premises to convert it into valuable manures. Some indigenous lignocellulolytic microbial strains are being used for the biocomposting.
The unit was developed inside the Dr. H.K. Baruah Bioresource Centre, G.U. to conduct both research and training purposes.
The department has a fully functional vermicomposting unit at H K Baruah Memorial Botanical Resource Centre to manage the leaf litters. The unit was set up in the year 2019. In the unit two earthworm species namely Eisenia fetida and Eudrilus eugeniae are used for vermicomposting of leaf litters. The vermicomposting output (i.e. Vermicompost) generated time to time is used in the departmental garden and also available for selling at nominal cost. Besides, a significant amount after each harvest has are usually given to the GU Estate Office at free of cost for their uses.
The Botanical Forum of the Department was formed by the first batch of the Semester System of the Department in 2001. Since the inception, the Forum is actively participating in different extensional activities (cleaning drive, plantation, seminar, symposia, etc.) in collaboration with the Department of Botany and the Botanical Society of Assam. The Forum has a well defined constitution approved by the General Body Meeting.
Aims and Objectives of the Forum:
i) To disseminate the knowledge of Plant Science.
ii) To promote and advance Plant Science Research and activities.
iii) To bring awareness about botanically related issues by holding meetings, seminars, symposia, etc.
iv) To facilitate close association and interaction among students (ongoing and alumni of the Dept. of Botany, G.U.), academicians, and professional botanists.
v) To motivate and train the young minds for extension services to the society and for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Department of Botany
Gauhati University, Guwahati 781014, Assam (India)
Email : botany@gauhati.ac.in
Web : https://www.gauhati.ac.in/academic/science/botany
MSc (Gauhati) PhD (Tezpur)
Professor
btanti[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
MSc (Patna) PhD (NEHU)
Microbiology and Plant Pathology
dhruvakjha[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
MSc (RGU) PhD (Gauhati)
Mycology and Microbiology
kumanand[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
MSc (Gauhati) PhD (Gauhati) MPhil (Gauhati)
Plant Taxonomy
ndevi[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
MSc (Gauhati) PhD (Gauhati)
Plant Ecology
ppbaruah[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
MSc (Calcutta) PhD (Calcutta)
Mycology and Plant Pathology
arun_botany[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
MSc (Gauhati) PhD (Gauhati) Post Doctoral Fellow (Leicester, UK)
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
nbh_17[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
MSc (Gauhati) PhD (Gauhati)
Cytology, Genetics, and Plant Breeding
niraj_botany[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
MSc (Assam University) PhD (Assam University)
Plant Stress Biology
pankajborgohain[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
MSc (Gauhati) PhD (Gauhati)
Environmental Microbiology, Microbial Ecology, Bioremediation
sdevi[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
MSc (Gauhati) PhD (Gauhati)
Ethnobotany
skborthakur[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in