<p> DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY</p><p>The department was established in the year 1970 as an allied department. The</p><p> department has deeply involved itself in various research activities mainly focusing on</p><p> understanding, utilization and conservation of Floristic wealth of the Southern</p><p>Western Ghats through conventional and biotechnological methods. At present one</p><p> member of the department is recognized as research guide for guiding scholars for the</p><p> award of Ph.D. degree by the M. S. University, Tirunelveli. 21 Scholars have been</p><p> obtained M. Phil., degree under the guidance from this department. The department is</p><p> equipped with all basic instruments for a Degree course. </p><p>The research outputs are published in national and international journals. 20 papers</p><p> have been published during the last five year period. Publications are referred by the</p><p> scientific community and cited in their scientific work. Apart from lending their</p><p> expertise, the department is also collaborating with five institutes in Tamil Nadu. As a</p><p> lab - to - land programme the department has done the following extension activities in</p><p> the adopted village, Environmental awareness programmes, Tree planting, Cultivation of</p><p> medicinal plants and Preparation of drugs for local ailments using locally available</p><p> medicinal plants, Preparation of compost, Vermicompost and Biofertilizers. </p><p>Department has organized following programme in the last five years Sponsor Total no of Title / theme of the programme Date participants STATE LEVEL SEMINAR ON 27 -, 09- 2006 Rani Anna 300 Recent trends in Environmental Safety Govt. College (10 Colleges) STATE LEVEL SEMINAR ON March 30, 31 TANSCHE 78 Bioprospecting and Ethnopharmacy of – 2009. Bioresources MEDICINAL PLANTS EXHIBITION Department 520 Jointly organized with Centre for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha, Survey of Medicinal Plants Unit (Siddha), Palayamkottai Changing Food Habits and Its Effects 18 -08 – 2009 TANSCHE 82 (Jointly organized with Dept. of HRD) Science Expo - 2010 29 – 01 -2010 Rani Anna 360 Govt. College Faculty profile </p><p>S.n Name of the Qualificatio Additional Date of Total year Research activity o faculty n competency joining of service Guidance Project 1. Dr. Mrs. C. M.Sc., Passed 06-04- 29 years M.Phil - 4 - Vijayambika M.Phil., Account 1981 Associate Ph.D. Test for Professor Executive officers. 2. Dr. A. M.Sc., GATE 26.12.2007 10 years self M. Phil – UGC Saravana M.Phil., examination finance 17 minor Ganthi Ph.D. M.Ed., passed college + Completed project Assistant CFN, CGT, 2 years in Pursuing -1 Professor Rani Anna M. Phil -1 Govt. College</p><p>Changes made in the courses (or) programmes during past five years and the </p><p> contribution of the faculty to those changes.</p><p> The course pattern, their curricula and syllabi are designed by M.S. University,</p><p>Tirunelveli, to fulfill the standards of excellence bearing in mind the twin aspects of</p><p> expansion of knowledge and demands of the employment market.</p><p> University restructured the exciting course with choice based credit system to</p><p> provide knowledge and skills, required for creative and productive functioning,</p><p> generating more employment potential and avenues for self-entrepreneurship.</p><p> In the context of objective and subjective to the evaluation, each paper has been in</p><p> modular form with five units. This has very much enabled the examiners to go in</p><p> for syllabus to fulfill the needs and aspirations of the different levels of learner</p><p> group.</p><p> Non-major courses – Gardening and Garden Management, Mushroom and Seaweed</p><p> culture, Botany for competitive examinations, Biofertilizers and Biocides are</p><p> introduced as part of existing first degree courses. Learning resources of the department – Library computers, laboratories and other resources</p><p>Library - Totally 543 books are available in the Department Library. </p><p>Book Bank - 60 Books are available in the Book Bank.</p><p>Journals - The department is subscribing the following journals </p><p>Agrobios, </p><p>International Journal of Plant Sciences, </p><p>Indian Journal of Botanical Research, </p><p>Asian Journal of Microbiol. Biotech. and Env. Sci. </p><p>Plant Archives </p><p>Horticulture.</p><p>Computer - 1 desktop computer is available.</p><p>Laboratory - The department is equipped with a laboratory. </p><p>List of equipments Our laboratory is being equipped with the following instruments. The instruments are purchased under state fund and UGC grants. </p><p>S. No. Name of the Equipment S. No. Name of the Equipment 1. Air conditioner for tissue culture - Samsung 33. Heating Mantle make – ordinary window type 2. Apparatus for stomatal studies 34. Herbarium cabinet</p><p>3. Apparatus for the comparison of rate of 35. Hot air oven transpiration 4. Apparatus to demonstrate hydrotropism 36. Hot plate</p><p>5. Apparatus to demonstrate osmotic pressure 37. Hygrometer</p><p>6. Apparatus to demonstrate suction pressure 38. Inoculation chamber </p><p>7. Apparatus to demonstrate transpiration pull 39. Inoculation needle 8. Auxnometer 40. Instrument to study fermentation</p><p>9. Bacteriological incubator 41. Klinostat</p><p>10 Beranges balance 42. Laboratory mixer .</p><p>11 Camera Lucida 43. Leaf area cutter .</p><p>12 Centrifuge 44. Magnetic stirrer .</p><p>13 Chromatographic automizer 45. Micropipettes variables .</p><p>14 Chromatography Cabinet Deluxe quality 46. Microtome rotary .</p><p>15 Colony Counter 47. Muffle Furnace .</p><p>16 Craft tissue culture hood 48. Pellenkofer’s transpiration . apparatus</p><p>17 Dark chamber 49. Photo electric calorimeter .</p><p>18 Demonstration Auxanograph 50. Photomicrographic equipment .</p><p>19 Digital pH meter with combine electrode 51. Photosynthometer .</p><p>20 Dissection Microscope 52. Physical Balance .</p><p>21 Dissolved oxygen meter 53. Pressure cooker for sterilization .</p><p>22 Distillation assemblies 54. Refrigerator 23 Double folding magnifier 55. Research microscope .</p><p>24 Electronic monobalance 56. Root pressure apparatus .</p><p>25 Fermentation vessel 57. Slide projector .</p><p>26 Ganong’s light screen 58. SMF volumetric flask .</p><p>27 Ganong’s photometer 59. Soil testing Kit with colour . comparator </p><p>28 Ganong’s respirometer 60. Soxlet apparatus .</p><p>29 Ganong’s respiroscope 61. Stage Micrometer .</p><p>30 Haemocytometer 62. Students compound microscope .</p><p>31 Heater 63. Thin Layer Chromatography Kit .</p><p>32 Heater with single burner 64. 4 KVA stabilizers .</p><p>Modern teaching methods practised and use of ICT in teaching – learning</p><p> OHP, power point presentation, field visits and group discussions are the common</p><p> methods of teaching methods practised in the department.</p><p> To expose students to develop the skills needed for specific jobs, previous year</p><p> questions of various competitive examinations are used to discuss.</p><p>Participation of teachers in academic and personal counseling of students  Even though Botany is an allied department, the students are guided for educational,</p><p> vocational, personal and psychological development.</p><p>Details of the faculty development programmes and teachers who have been benefited </p><p> during past two years</p><p>Name Date Institute Dr. C. Vijayambika 08-11-2005 - 05-12-2005 Academic staff college, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai. Dr. A. Saravana 26.12.2007 - 24.01.2008 Academic staff college, Bharathiyar Ganthi University, Coimbatore </p><p>Participation / contribution of teachers to the academic activities including teaching, </p><p> consultancy and research</p><p> a) Activities in teaching</p><p>Assignments, chart preparation, student projects and group discussions are given to</p><p> the students regularly.</p><p> b) Research</p><p> o An intensive and exhaustive research focus on the basic knowledge in Herbal drug</p><p> standardization, biodiversity conservation and trade of medicinal plants.</p><p>Collaboration with other departments, Institutions, at the State, National and</p><p>International levels and their outcome during the past two years</p><p>Department is collaborated with Survey of Medicinal Plants Unit (SMP), CCRAS,</p><p>Dept. of Ayush, Govt. of India, Palayamkottai – an exhibition was organized on 30 –</p><p>31 march 2009.</p><p>Department staff members collaborated with Dept. of Plant Biology and Plant</p><p>Biotechnology, MDT Hindu College, Dept. of Plant Biology and Plant</p><p>Biotechnology, St. Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai, Dept. of Botany, Dr. Zahir Husain College, Ilayankudi – many research papers are published in collaborative</p><p> research work.</p><p>Editorial Board and Executive Council member in International Journal of Plant </p><p>Sciences</p><p>Member in WWF – India</p><p>Treasurer in Plant Biology and Biotechnology Alumni Association, St. Xavier’s </p><p>College, Palayamkottai.</p><p>Participation of the teachers in seminars/ conferences and presented papers for the past two years</p><p>No. of seminars No. of papers No. of papers S.No Name attended presented published 1. Dr. Tmt. C. Vijayambika 4 4 2 2. Dr. A. Saravana Ganthi 12 11 21</p><p>Priority areas for Research and details of the ongoing projects, important and noteworthy publications of the faculty during past two years</p><p> a) Ongoing Project </p><p> UGC sponsored Minor project titled as “Status of wetlands in Tirunelveli</p><p>District, Tamil Nadu - Strategies for restoration, conservation and</p><p> management”</p><p> b) Publication</p><p>Pharmacognostical studies on Sandhana Vembu (Toona ciliata.L) – in Plant Archives</p><p>7 (1) 2007 pp 251 – 253.</p><p>Antibacterial studies on Sandhana Vembu (Toona ciliata.L) – in Plant Archives 7(1)</p><p>2007 pp 141 – 143. Isolation of the natural colorant from the seeds of Terminalia chebula and its use as a</p><p> new neutralization indicator - in Indian Journal of Botanical Research 4 (1).2008.pp:</p><p>95-98</p><p>Antibacterial studies on Cordia obliqua - in Indian Journal of Botanical Research 4(1)</p><p>2008. pp: 69-72</p><p>Pharmacognostical studies on Cissus vitiginea L. (Vitaceae) – in International Journal</p><p> of Plant Sciences 4 (1) 2009: pp: 172 – 175.</p><p>Pharmacognostical studies on Umari Keerai (Sudea maritima (L.) Dumort) - in Plant</p><p>Archives 9 2009 pp 79 – 82.</p><p>Antibacterial effect of Cissus vitiginea L. (Vitaceae) – in Convergence 10 (1-4) 2009</p><p> pp 42 – 45.</p><p>Quantitative biochemical analysis of Lentinus squarrosulus Mont. – in Indian Journal</p><p> of Botanical Research 5 (1 & 2) 2009. pp: 33 – 36.</p><p>Indigenous Knowledge on Natural Dyeing of Mat in Pattamadai, Tirunelveli District,</p><p>Tamil Nadu – in Natural Product Radiance vol. 8 (5) 2009 542 – 545.</p><p>Isolation of the natural colorant from the roots of Rubia cordifolia L. and its use as</p><p> a new neutralization indicator – in Journal of Ecotoxicology and Environmental</p><p> monitoring vol.19 (6) 2009 pp: 601 – 604. </p><p>An assessment of the quality of water from Tiruchendur temple, Tamil Nadu – in</p><p>Asian Journal of Environmental Science vol. 4(2) 2009 pp: 177 – 180.</p><p>Synthetic Dye Decolourisation by Fungal Cultures under static conditions – in</p><p>Asian Journal of Microbiol. Biotech. and Env. Sci. 11 (4) 2009 pp: 769 – 772.</p><p>Extension services:  Conduct training programme on Herbal drug preparation and medicinal plants</p><p> cultivation to the Kani tribals in Karayar - I, Tirunelveli on 01-08-08 organized by St.</p><p>Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai.</p><p> Conduct training programme on Herbal drug preparation and medicinal plants</p><p> cultivation to the Kani tribals in Karayar - II, Tirunelveli on 29-09-08 organized by St.</p><p>Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai.</p><p> Conduct training programme in Herbal drug preparation in the village</p><p>Lakshmiyapuram, Tirunelveli on 16 – 03 – 2008.</p><p> Talk on local medicinal plants and their uses in the village Mavadi, Mannoor Taluk,</p><p>Tirunelveli District on 10 – 03 – 2007.</p><p> Conduct training programme in Herbal drug preparation in the village Kilaomanallur,</p><p>Tirunelveli on 04 – 03 – 2009.</p><p>Plan of action of the department for the next five years</p><p>1. Plan to organize seminars and workshops.</p><p>2. Plan to submit proposals for major projects.</p><p>3. Job-oriented training programmes related to Botany</p><p>4. Steps are to be taken to elevate allied department to major Botany department</p><p>(submitted the proposal to the Government continuously for last five years).</p>