GENERAL ACCONT OF IMPORTANT INSTITTIONS -Botanical Survey of India FOR msc

  GENERAL ACCONT OF IMPORTANT INSTITTIONS

     Botanical Survey of India

Botanical Survey of India (BSI) was established in 1890 with the basic objectives of carrying out floristic surveys of the Indian empire. It was reviewed and reorganised in 1954. During the successive plan periods its functions have been gradually expanded. After reorganisation and establishment of 10 different regional centres throughout the country, the aims and objectives of the Survey were redefined in 1976 with a view to encourage taxonomic research and to accelerate the scientific expertise for the preparation of a comprehensive flora of the country. The objectives and perspectives of BSI were thoroughly reviewed in 2002 by the subcommittee constituted by Programme Advisory Committee for BSI & ZSI. Activities like survey and exploration of plant resources, listing of endangered species, publication of national flora, preparation of national Data Bank on herbarium and live collection, plant distribution and nomenclature were strengthened.

History

The British East India Company had established botanical gardens at Sibpur, Poona, Saharanpur and Madras as centres for improving botanical knowledge and experimentation under the local Governments. For example, the Saharanpur botanical garden, which dates from before 1750, was acquired by the East India Company in 1817 for growing medicinal plants. Most of the EIC botanical gardens' work was for the cultivation of plants of interest in commerce and trade.

The Botanical Survey was formally instituted on February 13, 1890 under the direction of Sir George King, who had been superintendent of Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta since 1871. King became the first ex-officio Director of BSI. The Calcutta Garden became the headquarters of the Survey and was given regional responsibility for Bengal, Assam, North East, Burma, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Objective

The prime objectives of the Survey were:

·             To undertake intensive floristic surveys and collect accurate and detailed information on the occurrence, distribution, ecology and economic utility of plants in the country.

·             To collect, identify and distribute materials which may be of use to educational and research institutions and,

·             To act as custodian of authentic collections in well planned herbaria and to document the plant resources in the form of local, District, State and National Flora.

Research Center/ Circle

To cope up with this enormous task assigned to the Survey, the following 4 circles were established after independence, in different Botanical regions to cover the vast stretches of the country :

1.         Botanical Survey of India, Southern Circle at Coimbatore on 10th October 1955.

2.         Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Circle at Shillong on 1st April 1956.

3.         Botanical Survey of India, Western Circle at Pune on 12th December 1955.

4.         Botanical Survey of India, Northern Circle at Dehra Dun on 1st August 1956.

Simultaneously, a Central Botanical Laboratory at Lucknow was established in December, 1957 for studying the various aspects of plant biology like – cytology, plant physiology, plant chemistry, seed biology, ecology, etc.- in order to provide multidisciplinary approach to conventional taxonomy.

During the same year (1957), the Herbarium belonging to “Royal Botanic Garden”, Calcutta, which was renamed as the “Indian Botanic Garden” in 1950, was transferred to Botanical Survey of India and soon this herbarium shot into fame as the “Central National Herbarium” (CAL).

In order to further strengthen the Survey for carrying out its assigned mandate more effectively and expeditiously, a number of new Circles in different phytogeographical regions were opened as follows:-

5.         Botanical Survey of India, Central Circle at Allahabad in 1962

6.         Botanical Survey of India, Arid Zone Circle at Jodhpur in 1972

7.         Botanical Survey of India, Andaman & Nicobar Circle at Port Blair in 1972

8.         Botanical Survey of India, Arunachal Pradesh Circle at Itanagar in 1977

9.         Botanical Survey of India, Sikkim Himalayan Circle at Gangtok in 1979

10.     Botanic Garden of Indian Republic at Noida in 2002

11.     Botanical Survey of India, Deccan Circle at Hyderabad in 2005

Mandate

During the successive five year plan periods, the functions of Botanical Survey of India were further diversified to include various new areas such as assessment and inventorisation of endemic, rare and threatened plant species; evolving conservation strategies; studies on fragile ecosystems and protected areas like Sanctuaries, National Parks and Biosphere Reserves; monitoring of changes in floristic components; ex-situ conservation, multiplication and maintenance of germplasm of plant genetic resources, endemic and threatened species, wild ornamentals, etc.; ethnobotanical and geobotanical studies and the development of National Database on Herbarium (including Type specimens) live collections, plant genetic resources, plant distribution and nomenclature. The aims and objective of the department were redefined, reviewed during the year 1987 and survey and exploration of plant resources and inventorisation of threatened species, publication of National and State Floras and development of National database were given top priority.

After the ratification of the Convention on Biological Diversity by the Govt. of India in February, 1994 a greater role for Botanical Survey of India was envisaged, particularly with reference to the article – 7, 8, 12, 16 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Following which the objectives and strategies of the Botanical Survey of India were further diversified.

Following are the main functions of Botanical Survey of India:

    Primary Functions

·             Exploration, inventorisation and documentation of phytodiversity (including non-flowering plants) in general and protected areas, hotspots, fragile ecosystems, wetlands, sacred groves in particular; publication of National, State and District Floras.

·             Identification of Red list species and species rich areas needing conservation; ex-situ conservation of critically threatened taxa in the Botanical Gardens.

·             Survey and documentation of traditional knowledge (ethnobotany) associated with plants

·             Develop a national database of Indian plants including herbarium specimens, live specimens, Botanical paintings /illustrations etc.

    Secondary Functions

·             Revisionary/Monographic studies on selected plant groups.

·             Qualitative analysis of nutritive value of ethno-food plants and other economically useful species.

·             Capacity building in plant taxonomy through refresher courses and post M.Sc. certificate course.

·             Environmental Impact Assessment of areas assigned to BSI for study.

·             Develop and maintain Botanical Gardens, Musea and Herbaria.

·             Preparation of Seed, Pollen and Spore Atlas of Indian Plants.

·             Recently, the Survey has also extended its activities to Antarctica from 16th expedition (1996 – 97) onwards for the study of Bryophytes, Fungi and Algae (except the blue-green).