It is my pleasure and privilege to write about the Botany Department. The Department was established in July 1967. Dr. V.K. Srivastava had joined the department as founder head. He had started classes in the first part of undergraduate with full of his enthusiasm and endeavour. He maintained a standard of quality education throughout his service period and never made any compromise with the quality and standard of education in the department.
The main thrust area of teaching Research is Grassland ecology, Taxonomy, Seed technology, Limnology, and Biodiversity conservation. Presently teaching activities include undergraduate and postgraduate semester courses and Ph.D. programmes. The department has made steady progress in all these areas. The department has produced 26 Ph.D. so far. About 120 research papers and 03 books have been published on different aspects. The department has a distinction in having alumni placed at various responsible positions. The department is conducting Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Ph.D. courses including skill-based elective courses such as Applied Ecology, Industrial Microbiology and Limnology.
The department gradually progressed in multifarious directions viz. laboratory, materials, equipment, instrumentation library, museum and building expansion. The department had uplifted in the field of research work especially when Dr. Srivastava started some ecological studies in neighbouring grasslands for the study of the structure and production.
Dr. Srivastava had a versatile personality and thereby, he remained active in almost all the academic and administrative field of the College and University successfully like in-charge of admission committee, as NSS officer, in-charge of University exams, chief proctor of the College etc. He had also acted as in-charge Principal of this College from July 1990 to 1991. He remained member of board of studies and executive council for their prescribed periods in B.U. Jhansi. He has provided his remarkable and immemorable services upto October 2000.
After about two years in August 1969 Dr. R.B.S. Sanger was appointed as his junior colleague i.e. as second lecturer in the department. Dr. Sanger became an asset to the department both from academic and administrative point of view. He was the product of Agra University and specialized in cytogenetics and plant breeding. Therefore, he has been given to teach cytology, plant breeding and genetics in the department. He did his research work for his Ph.D. in this department on Autecogical study of Dalbergia sissoo. He served this department for more than thirty five years and retired in Oct. 2005.
A laborious scholar of Prof. R.S. Ambast of B.H.U., Dr. U.N. Singh has joined this department in October 1974 as third lecturer who had upgraded the study of ecology and some lower groups of plants. He became pioneer for opening the doors of research work in this department and also laid down the foundation of research for Ph.D. degree with least availability of equipmental and literature facilities in the department by supervising the research work of Sri V.K. Srivastav R.B.S. Sengar and Anoop Srivastava with the guidance of Prof. G.P. Mishra of Saugor University, Sagar. Seventeen students had been awarded Ph.D. degree of Bundelkhand University under his guidance. He had also published a number of research papers in National and International Journals. Dr. Singh has successfully completed a minor research project in this department during March 1977 to Feb. 1979. He also attended many conferences, symposia and workshops. He is life member of International Society for tropical ecology (ISTE, BHU), Range Management Society of India (RMSI), IGFRI Jhansi. His remarkable services had been available to this department upto July, 2007.
In January 1981 Dr. A.K. Yadav as Scholar of Prof. G.P. Mishra after leaving the post doctoral fellowship of C.S.I.R. from Saugor University, Sagar, had joined this department as fourth lecturer and had been given the teaching of higher plants and ecology Dr. Yadav has specialized in Limnology and forest hydrology. He had been awarded M.P. Govt. State Junior Fellowship and then S.R.F. and P.D.F. of C.S.I.R. during his research tenure. Dr. Yadav's research was of higher order as it was initiated for the first time in our country. It was based on forest hydrology. He had published more than 10 papers on this work in journals of national and international repute Besides, academic activities Dr. Yadav has remained convenor/member of almost all the committees of the College and served the institution as chief proctor for about 20 years. He is also a member of board of studies & member of selection committees of B.U. Jhansi.
In 1982 the department was recognized for research by Bundelkhand University, Jhansi and after a session in 1983 the department had uplifted as Post Graduate department by the Joint efforts of the academic team of the department and management committee of the college.
Dr. R.K. Gupta and Dr. V.K. Yadav have joined the department as lecturers in Oct. 1988 and Nov. 1990 respectively. They are hard working, soft spoken and popular teachers of the department and engaged themselves in teaching, research and other administrative duties given by Principal to them.
Dr. R.K. Gupta at present is the in-charge of this department. He is working in the field of ecology. There are six students who have been awarded Ph.D. degree under his guidance by now. At present one student is working under his guidance. Dr. Gupta has published a number of research papers in standard popular journals and proceedings of seminar/symposia. He also completed a minor research project of UGC during 2005-2007.
He was life member of various associations like ‘Indian Science Congress Association’ of Microbiologists of India, New Delhi. Range Management Society of India, IGFRI Jhansi etc. He has remained NSS Officer, in charge Rovers/Ranger, Nodal officer scholarship affairs and other social welfare scheme running in the College. He is also an active member of various social organizations like Red cross Bharat Vikas Parishad etc. He is a successful organizer of all extracurricular activities in the department as well as College. viz chief Proctor, In charge of Exam. Committee. He was convener of board of studies of B.U. Jhansi and at present member of Academic council of B.U. Jhansi.
Dr. V.K. Yadav is a hard working silent person always remain engaged in his academic and research or administrative work of the College. His field of specialization is forest ecology forest tree technology, Limnology. He did his Ph.D. under joint guidance of Prof. G.P. Mishra and Prof. P.K. Khare on an important forest trees seed technological problem from Dr. H.S. Gaur Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar in 1989. He was awarded a J.R.F. of State Govt. of M.P. and S.R.F. of C.S.I.R., New Delhi during his research tenure. Dr. Yadav has published 42 research papers in nationally and internationally reputed journals/books. He participated in two refresher courses and 08 symposium, seminar/workshops. He has supervised three students for their research work and they had been awarded their Ph.D. degree from Bundelkhand University, Jhansi by now. Dr. Yadav has also been awarded "Fellow of Range Management Society of India and active member of 'Rotary Club Orai'. He is life member of Range Management Society of India. Jhansi. Botanical Society, Univ. of Delhi and Botanical Society Dr. H.S. Gaur University, Sagar. He is an active member of student admission, election and deputy convenor of examination committees and Proctorial board. Dr. Yadav is actively engaged in various university works related to examination and selections etc. He was a convenor of Board of studies of Bundelkhand University Jhansi.
Dr. Praveen Kumar has joined this department in Dec. 2010 after his selection from higher education commission U.P. He has specialized in plant pathology and did his research work under the guidance of Dr. Pradeep Saxena, Senior Scientist of IGFRI, Jhansi from B.U. Jhansi in 2007. He has published two research papers in plant pathological journals of India and attended three seminars. He engaged himself in teaching and other extracurricular activities of the College. He worked as a programme Officer of a unit of NSS in the college and also SVEEP (State Voter Election Education Programme) Co-ordinator of district Jalaun. At present he has been transferred to B.B.C. Jhansi.
Dr. Niti Kushwaha and Dr. Neel Ratan had joined academic family of this department in May 2009, as lecturers on honorarium. Dr. Niti did her Ph.D. in 2004 in Plant Breeding and Genetics under the supervision of Dr. R.N. Choubey, Principal Scientist and H.O.D. of Crop Improvement Division, IGFRI, Jhansi, from B.U. Jhansi. She has published four research papers and attended 03 seminar/workshop and several webinars relevant to the subject. She has also work as S.R.F. and R.A. in two different projects sponsored by NATP-C.G.P. (National Agricultural and Technological Projects) Competitive Grant Projects. Dr. Kushwaha is a life member of Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding (IARI, N. Delhi). Dr. Kushwaha served as programme officer of a unit of NSS in the College. She was district co-ordinator of ‘Rashtriya Yuva Sansad’ organized by Government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in 2019. She is also member of several committees at College level.
Dr. Neel Ratan’s work is in the field of “Applied Ecology”. He has published 38 research papers and attended seminars. At present he is showing interest in teaching taxonomy and ecology. He was also programme officer of a NSS unit in the College and an active member of several committees in the College.
Dr. Niti a Kushwaha and Dr. Neel Ratan were added to the permanent faculty later in 2019.