The Barani Agriculture College established in 1980 and botany is being taught different semesters since then. These supported B.Sc. Agriculture strand till 1996. The College was upgraded to a university status in 1995. Since then, Botany subjects were offered at Masters level.

The department I currently is currently offering various Botany subjects in under graduate and post graduate levels in the morning as well as evening sessions. Currently about 180 students are enrolled in the morning and evening classes in the Botany. Furthermore, since the initiation of Ph.D. program in 2001, 16 students currently enrolled in the Botany department.

Our faculty in currently composed of 9faculty members out of which 6are Ph.D. and the other are M.Phil degree holders and near completion of their Ph.D. The faculty members are specialized in various fields of Botany i.e. plant physiology, taxonomy, ecology ethonobotany, plant pathology, Ecotoxicology, and environmental pollution and gene transformation they have published more than 250 research articles in national and international journals.

History

No facilities were available in the Barani area of Rawalpindi / Islamabad to cater for Botany as a subject. Initially, Barani Agricultural College had agriculture based subjects and there was a need for a basic science subjects like Botany in the newly formulated university in 1995. Keeping this in view M.Sc Botany was started in 1996.

Graduate Students

The department of Botany has produced 528 Botany graduates at Master Level, 46 M.Phil. and 9 Ph.Ds.. Schemes of studies are being constantly reviewed and updated as per HEC’s recommendations.

Research Facilities

The department has 4 research laboratories and one general laboratory for graduate students. These laboratories are well equipped with modern apparatus like HPLC, TLC, Thermocycler, phase contrast microscopes, spectrophotometers, ultra freezer, GPS, etc. All the work relevant to Plant Physiology, Plant Ecology, GIS mapping, Plant Taxonomy and Plant Microbe Interaction can easily be done in these self-sufficient labs at any level. Presently, the department is providing research facilities in all areas of medicinal plants including phyotchemistry, molecular characterization of various compounds & allelopathic screening of plant extracts, phytosociology, ethnobotany, aflatoxin and their integrated management, stress and drought physiology, gene transformation, taxonomic studies in all fields including algal and fungi for perusing M. Phil./PhD studies.

Publications

The faculty members of Botany department have published more than 300 research articles in the journal of national and international repute.

Future Planning

1. Establishment of Botanical gardens
2. Development of Herbarium
3. Development of Phytomedicine & Tissue culture Lab.
4. Establishment of Plant Biotechnology Laboratory
5. Initiation of BS Program

Achievements

1. Completed nine research projects funded by various agencies.
2. Generation of trained manpower in the field of Botany