The Department of Botany was started in 1969 at the Nandanam campus. The Department began to offer PUC and was upgraded to a full-fledged UG department offering a B.Sc. Botany in 1971. The UG course was rechristened as Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology. The sanctioned staff strength was ten until 2011, and in the Academic year 2011-2012, the Department was upgraded to a PG department. In the year 2012-2013, the Department was accorded research status.
The faculty strength is 12; all hold doctorate degrees in various specializations. Six faculty members are research guides, and 5 Faculty members have received research grants from multiple funding agencies.
Every year, student projects are sanctioned by TANSCHE and TNSCST. The Department maintains two gardens- one for medicinal plants and one for conducting horticulture classes. Organic farming is taught to the students. Two staff members, Dr. Mujeera Fathima and Dr. K.P. Girivasan, have been selected under the Study Abroad Programme of the Government of Tamil Nadu (TANSCHE) to visit the United Kingdom to learn the teaching-learning methodology and to do research.
Year of establishment: 1971
Year of recognition as research department: 2013
Our student club has been named “Gloriosa” after the Gloriosa superba plant, whose flower is the state flower of Tamil Nadu. Students from undergraduate and postgraduate programs are shuffled into four teams named after eminent scientists Mendel, Janaki Ammal, Birbal Sahni, and Darwin. The purpose of this club is to cultivate leadership skills and team-building skills among our students. Each month, Gloriosa invites experts from different places to deliver a lecture. Expanded non-biodegradable polystyrene bits (Thermocol) are generally used to hold the plant material firmly while taking sections. Instead, we are using Carrot tap roots as holding material while sectioning. The water used in the laboratory experiments is intentionally used to water the potted plants we maintain along the corridor. Our Department maintains a medicinal garden with a rich repository of plants that represent our traditional heritage, knowledge, and diversity. In collaboration with the Geological Survey of India, a museum exhibits a good collection of fossil specimens, another important benefit of the Department. The Department runs an Eco-Club to empower students and raise awareness about ecological issues, extending the boundaries of education beyond the walls.
UG: year established: 1972
PG: year established: 2011
Ph.D.: Year established: 2013 (Both Full-time and part-time)
| S. No | Name of the Staff | Designation | Educational Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. K. P. Girivasan | HOD & Associate Professor | M.Sc., M.Phil., B.Ed., Ph.D. |
| 2 | Major. Dr. M. Baskar | Associate Professor | M.Sc., M.Phil., B.Ed., Ph.D. |
| 3 | Dr. G. Diraviam | Associate Professor | M.Sc., M.Phil., B.Ed., Ph.D. |
| 4 | Dr. D. Kandavel | Associate Professor | M.Sc., M.Sc (Biotech.)., M.Phil., Ph.D. |
| 5 | Dr. M. Pazhanisamy | Associate Professor | M.Sc., M.Phil., B.Ed., Ph.D., M.A., (Yoga). |
| 6 | Dr. R. Sundararaj | Associate Professor | M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D. |
| 7 | Dr. R. Kavitha | Associate Professor | M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D., PGDHS |
| 8 | Dr. K. Perinbam | Associate Professor | M.Sc., Ph.D., PGDCA. |
| 9 | Dr. K. Sathiameena | Associate Professor | M.Sc., M.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D. |
| 10 | Dr. S. Malathy (On Deputation) | Assistant Professor | M.Sc., B.Ed., Ph.D. |
| 11 | Dr. R. Murali | Assistant Professor | M.Sc., M.Phil (Botany), M.Phil. (Education), M.Ed., PGDCA, MBA, Ph.D. |
| 12 | Vacant | — | — |
| 13 | Vacant | — | — |
| S.No | Name and Type of the Event | Date | Resource Person / Chief Guest | No. of Participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exhibition | 17.02.2023 | — | 100 |
| 2 | Invited Lecture | 16.02.2023 | Mr. Israel Oliver King, MSSRF, Chennai | 100 |
| 3 | — | 02.03.2023 | — | 100 |
| 4 | Invited Lecture | 2023 | Dr. P. Balaji, Assistant Professor of Botany, Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Arts College, Vyasarbadi | 100 |
| 5 | Invited Lecture | 31.01.2023 | Dr. S. Ravikumar, Assistant Professor of Botany, Presidency College, Chennai | 100 |
| 6 | Invited Lecture | 09.02.2023 | Dr. S. Seshadri, Advisor – Life Science, Shri AMM Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre | 100 |
| 7 | Invited Lecture | 16.11.2022 | Dr. P. Balaji, PDF, CAS in Botany, Chennai | 100 |
| S.No | Name of the Activity | Date & Venue of the Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naan Mudhalvan Training for Medical Coding |
13.03.2023 EK Janaki Ammal Audio Visual Room |
| 2 | Pongal Celebrations |
13.01.2023 Herbal Garden |
| 3 | Floral Diagram Rangoli |
02.02.2023 Department Corridor |