DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY

History:
The Department of Botany was established at the undergraduate level in 1958 and was elevated to postgraduate status in 1964. It is well-equipped with the essential facilities to effectively conduct both UG and PG programs.
Head of the Department:
1. Dr. A.S. Bhatnagar 1964-1973
2. Dr. B.P. Pandey 1973-1995
3. Dr. Jaipal Singh 1995-1997
4. Sh. S. C. Chaudhary 1997-2002
5. Dr. Jitendra Mohan 2002-2011
6. Dr. Sudhir Kumar 2011 -2013
7. Dr. Baljeet Singh 2013 -2013
8. Dr. S. P. Singh 2013-2016
9. Dr. Rajeshwari Sharma 2016-2018
10. Prof.(Dr.) Sheesh Pal Singh 2018- to date

Dr. A. S. Bhatnagar, the founding Head of the Department, subsequently served as Principal of I.P. College, Bulandshahr. The position of Head of the Department was held by Dr. B. P. Pandey from 1973 to 1995, followed by Dr. Jai Pal Singh (1995–1997), Sh.
C. S. Chaudhary (1997–2002), Dr. J. Mohan (2002–2011), Dr. Sudhir Kumar (2011–2013), Dr. B. S. Dahiya (2013), Dr. S. P. Singh (2013–2016), and Dr. Rajeshwari Sharma (2016–2018). Currently, Professor (Dr.) Sheesh Pal Singh has been serving as Head of the Department since 2018.
Departmental Chronology:
The Department of Botany was established at the undergraduate level in 1958 with three distinguished faculty members—Dr. B. P. Pandey, Dr. V. P. Singh, and Dr. J. P. Singh. At that time, Botany was first introduced in this college, making it the pioneer among
institutions in the Delhi–Saharanpur region. The undergraduate programme began with a modest enrolment of 15 students, which rapidly expanded to four sections, reflecting the department’s growing popularity and academic strength. In recognition of the department’s outstanding performance, it was elevated to
postgraduate status in 1964–65. Dr. A. S. Bhatnagar was appointed as the founding Reader and Head of the Department. With the induction of two additional faculty members, the department's strength increased to five, comprising Dr. A. S. Bhatnagar, Dr. B. P. Pandey,
Dr. J. P. Singh, Sh. M. S. Chaudhary, and Sh. C. S. Chaudhary.

As the student intake continued to grow, expanding to eight sections, two more faculty members—Dr. J. Mohan and Dr. Sudhir Kumar—were appointed, bringing the total faculty strength to seven. By 1971, the department further expanded to nine faculty members with the addition of Dr. Vijender Singh and Dr. S. N. Shukla. Dr. Baljeet Singh joined the department in 1973. Subsequently, Dr. Vijender Singh and Dr. S. N. Shukla left to pursue prestigious roles as Assistant Director of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Scientist at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), respectively. In 1975, Dr. Surendra Pal Singh and Dr. Ashok Kumar Sharma joined the faculty. Mr. K. P. Raghuvanshi joined in 1978 but later left in 1980 to join the Indian Police Service (IPS). He was succeeded by Mr. Yashpal Singh, who was later selected for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1982. Dr. Rajeshwari Sharma joined as the 10th faculty member in 1983. Following the retirement of Sh. M. S. Chaudhary, Mr. Sunil Kumar Dhiman joined the department in 2000. He later moved to Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, in 2002. The department has continually encouraged faculty members to explore broader academic and professional horizons. Over the years, the Department of Botany has steadily expanded through the addition of committed and qualified faculty members. Dr. Sheesh Pal Singh joined in 2001 and has since contributed steadily to the department’s academic and research activities. He was followed by Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma in 2003, who has actively supported both teaching and scholarly engagement within the department, and Dr. Sanjay Kumar in 2005, who was later transferred to M.S. College, Saharanpur in 2016. Dr. Indu joined in 2006, and Dr. Renu Chaudhary in 2019, both contributing to the departmental academic responsibilities. In 2022, the department welcomed Dr. Chandra Pal Singh, Dr. Tarkeshwar Nath Tiwari, and Dr. Prashant Mishra, further strengthening its academic and research profile. At present, the department comprises seven permanent faculty members, all of whom hold doctoral degrees and are actively engaged in innovative teaching practices and scholarly research. Faculty members from the department have consistently held significant academic and administrative responsibilities within the university. Dr. J. P. Singh, Dr. J. Mohan, and  Dr. Sudhir Kumar have served as Conveners of the Research Degree Committee, responsible for monitoring Ph.D. programmes at the university. All three also held the position of Convener of the Board of Studies, contributing to the formulation of undergraduate and postgraduate curricula. Additionally, Dr. B. P. Pandey and Dr. Baljeet Singh were members of the university Board of Studies, while Dr. J. Mohan and Dr. Sudhir Kumar have also served as members of both the Academic Council and the Executive Council of the university. Among the current faculty, Professor Sheesh Pal Singh has been appointed as a subject expert for faculty appointments and promotions in affiliated colleges. He has delivered the keynote address and served as a resource person at a national workshop. He has also served as Convener of the Board of Studies for designing the B.Sc. Botany (Hons) syllabus implemented by Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut.

Classrooms UG- PG Labs: There are exclusive classrooms and labs for M.Sc. students. The department has two lecture rooms and two UG labs for B.Sc. students.

Departmental Library: There is a separate departmental library for PG students and Research Scholars having 1700 volumes and journals including reference books.

Seminar Hall: There is a well-equipped seminar hall, for delivering seminars, quizzes and guest lectures.

In Vitro Lab: There is a combined in vitro lab in association with the department of Bioinformatics.

Taxonomy Lab: The lab for plant taxonomy and herbarium is under progress.

Computer facility: The department has computer facility for faculty, PG and research students with Wi-Fi Internet connection. There is a backup inverter of 3.5 KVA .
 

Equipments :

The department is equipped with a range of essential instruments and facilities to support both teaching and research activities. These include a multimedia console, overhead and LCD projectors (accessed through the central facility), UV-Vis spectrophotometer, BOD incubator, hot air ovens, micro-photographic equipment, trinocular and binocular research- grade microscopes, precision electronic balances, autoclaves, and centrifuges, all of which are in regular use. For microbial and biotechnological studies, the department houses specialized equipment such as a laminar airflow cabinet, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)  system, and infrared spectrophotometer. These facilities are further complemented through collaboration with the subsidiary departments of Microbiology and Bioinformatics, enhancing interdisciplinary research and practical training.