Post Graduate and Research Department of Botany is one of the oldest departments of Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta, with twelve National and International collaborations with renowned Universities and Industries for Research and Product Development. Our department endeavors to prepare students for their professional journey in the dynamic, diverse and ever-growing field of Botany. Undergraduate programme in Botany was initiated in 1955 and Post graduate programme in 1966.The department was upgraded as a Research centre in 1990 and department has been recognized for the special assistance grant by DST-FIST.
Vision:
“To be a leading and vibrant centre of excellence for teaching and research; and develop an eco-friendly loving community.”
Mission: ‘To provide a conducive learning environment for quality education and training, stimulate innovative research and technology development, consultancy, community service for improved livelihood and sustainable development’.
Programmes offered includes B.Sc Botany Model 1 , M.Sc. Botany and Ph.D. in Botany. Our department also offers certificate courses in Mushroom Cultivation, Fruit preservation and Single Cell Protein Cultivation. Bridge courses for first year undergraduate and postgraduate students are conducted every year.
The Undergraduate and postgraduate students will have the opportunity to work on comprehensive career-building academic and industrial Internships during their course period. The department has signed MoUs for student exchange and research activities with
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, New Delhi
St Thomas College Bhilai
Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (KDISC)
Business Innovation and Incubation Centre, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam
Zaraah Biotech, Thrissur
College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram
Barton Hill College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram
Ramanujan College and Bhaskaracharya College, University of Delhi
Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences, Kottayam
Student projects supported by Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment have been availed by undergraduate and postgraduate students in the previous years. Every year selected Post graduate students are attending summer internships at various prestigious Research institutes in India such as IIT Roorkie, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru; Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi..
Department Facilities:
Sophisticated Laboratories well equipped with
Hot Air Oven
Electrophoretic Apparatus
Magnetic stirrer
Cooling Centrifuge
Shaker
Oxygen Sensor
Double Distilled Unit
Laminar Air Flow
Spectrophotometer
Trinocular & Stereoscopic Microscopes
A full-fledged Phycotechnology laboratory was established by the financial support of Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment in 2016. The laboratory is equipped with the living cultures of more than 100 terrestrial and aquatic microalgae. The collection would support vital research and is accessed by the researchers and students from different parts of the country.
The department is equipped with up-to-date addition of most recent books of all branches of plant science and is having a good reading facility. In addition, classroom libraries are provided in the post graduate classrooms.
Our botanical museum is having collections of plant materials to demonstrate diversity of plant forms.
The department herbarium is designated as Catholicate College Herbarium (CATH Herbarium), which is registered in Herbarium Index of New York Botanical Garden.
Botanical Garden: Collection of living plants, around 1000 species of plants with rare ones.
The Ginger House, germplasm conservatory for Zingiberales was established in the Botanical Garden with the financial support of Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment. An area of 0.25 acres showcases about 30 genera, 200 species, varieties and horticultural cultivars with more than 1200 accessions of the plants of the ginger order (Zingiberales).
A well-equipped Tissue culture laboratory is maintained in the department.
New species discovery- Faculty members of the department have discovered several new species of Algae, Fungi and Angiosperms in the past years.
Research Projects
Faculties of the department have completed several major and minor projects sponsored by the UGC. A major project sponsored by Department of Environment and Climate Change (DoECC), Kerala is currently run by the faculty.
Prototypes Developed
Six Prototypes have been developed by the team of faculties and researchers. They include
1. Bio-oxygenator, which will act as an algal cultural container for purifying the closed room.
2. Bio-oxygenator- Mobile App to regulate Algal growth and its photosynthesis in Bio-oxygenator.
3. Herbarium Mobile Application, which enables the botanists to feed the data directly to the database from the field and generate QR codes and labels for the preparation of mini herbaria.
4. Phycoscrapper a device that can detect and store data on the growing conditions of the terrestrial algae, including temperature, light intensity, humidity.
5. Phycoscrapper-Mobile APP to take photographs using Phycoscrapper.
6. Web Application that aids in visualizing the data collected by Phycoscrapper.
Recent Seminars and workshops organized by the Department:
A Two-Day International Conference on Emerging Trends in Plant science Research was organized by our Department, in association with Kerala Academy of Sciences, St.Thomas College Bhilai Chhattisgarh, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, New Delhi. Dr. Divya S Iyer, honorable District Collector Pathanamthitta, inaugurated the conference in the presence of address. H. G. Kuriakose Mar Clemis, Manager of the college and Metropolitan of Thumpamon Diocese. The technical sessions were handled by Dr. Anitta Dedic (University of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina , Dr. Axel Paulson, (Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland) (Online) , Dr. Sabu Thomas (Faculty Scientist and Principal Investigator DBT-RGCB, Govt. of India, Trivandrum, Kerala), Dr. K. B. Rameshkumar,Secretary, Kerala Academy of Science and Pricipal Scientist TBGRI, Dr. EA Siril (Dept. Of Botany, University of Kerala), Dr. George V Thomas, Formerly Director, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod.
National Webinar on Transforming Higher Education- National Education Policy (NEP-2020) was organized by the department in association with Baselious College, Kottayam, KG College, Pampady, St. Stephen’s College, Maloor and Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences (University of Delhi) via Zoom platform. The webinar was inaugurated by Dr. CT Aravind Kumar (Pro VC, MG University Kottayam and led by Ms. Shakila Shamsu (formerly OSD (New Education Policy), Department of Higher Education,Ministry of Education, Secretary to the Committee to Draft NEP).
3rd National workshop on Algal Biology was organized by Research forum, of our department in association with Directorate of environment and climate change. Research Scholars, faculty members and post graduate students from various parts of India participated in the workshop. The sessions were handled by eminent professors and experts.
Dr. E. K. Janaki Ammal Chair for Plant Science in the department was inaugurated and first lecture was delivered by Dr. Siddharth Sirohi, Professor, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, Delhi University and Dr. Gunjan Sorohi, Asst. Professor, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, Delhi University.
Extension Activities:
Nomenclature Club: The department has taken initiative in identifying and scientifically labeling and installing QR codes labels on trees and plants on roadsides and public places. It helps in retrieval of the plant data using a QR code reader installed in mobile phones.
Harithapunarjani Programme of the department aims to develop an arboretum of rare and endangered trees along the road sides of Pathanamthitta town in association with Chris Global Foundation and Pathanamthitta Municipality.
Planting of Fruit Trees In School Campus As part of the Arivinoppam Aarogyavum” project, the Department of Botany planted 15 fruit trees in the campus of St. Johns M.S.C.L.P. School, Ullannoor in association with Chris Global foundation.
Student Centric Activities:
Botany Association which motivates and supports students to show case their talents in extracurricular activity. Students also take keen initiative in charity-oriented programmes.
Curiosity Council:
a platform for ideation and innovation of students.
Research Forum: An initiative to bring in research ambience among Faculty members, Research scholars and Post graduate students by conducting webinars, workshops etc. on contemporary research topics by renowned experts within and outside India.
Students Forum: Aims to enrich and nourish the students, equip them for higher studies and better employment. Webinars are being conducted to create awareness on various career oppurtunities in the field of life science.
Counselling Cell:
It aims at the positive mental health and development of students through a multidimensional approach encompassing Students, Faculty and Parents; involving One to one counselling.
Talk with Alumni:
Talk with Alumni an initiative of alumni of the department, every month a scientific talk is conducted by a prominent alumnus.
Day observations:
Department takes keen initiative in organizing various awareness programmes for students in connection with World Environment Day, Ozone Day etc
Botany Alumni initiatives:
Botany Alumni initiatives such as An alumnus a book and A Book to Thank your Teacher are actively functioning.