Since December 1987, this department has been engaged under the three broad mandates including academic, research and extension activities in the field of biotechnology. The department imparts quality education by offering two degree programmes viz., M.Sc. (Agri.) Molecular Biology & Biotechnology and Ph.D. Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, respectively. This department has proficient faculty and well-equipped laboratories in the field of plant biotechnology and molecular biology.The research has focused to address various basic and applied researchable issues of production, protection and genetic improvement in horticulture and forest crops through biotechnological interventions including technology transfers to the farmers’ field and impart trainings for the capacity building on plant tissue culture and other biotechnological aspects to students/farmers/entrepreneurs. The department has successfully completed 45 externally funded ad-hoc research projects funded by national and international funding agencies and has published various research papers of high impact in the reputed journals including 05 patents to its credit. The department in its journey of over 35 years has been able to generate 279 M.Sc. and 92 Ph.D. students.The alumni are well placed in various capable positions of R&D, academic, administrative services, biotech-based industries and other agri-entrepreneurship development sectors.
Post Graduate Teaching
Molecular characterization and population structure analysis
Dr Parul Sharma received ‘Best poster presentation award’on ‘Plant tissue culture based interventions for the propagation of Actinidia species’ in XXII Biennial National Symposium on Climate Smart Agronomy for Resilient Production System and Livelihood Security’ held at ICAR-CCARI, Goa in November 2023.
Dr Rajnish Sharma received ‘Best oral presentation award’ in the National Conference on “Future of Agriculture and Agriculture for Future: Indian Perspectives” held at SKUAST-K, Srinagar inSeptember 2023.
Overseas training attended by Dr Rajnish Sharma (De Montfont University, Leicester, UK), Dr Manisha Thakur (Plant Health Institute, Montpellier, France) and Dr Anupama Singh (University of Melbourne, Australia) under NAHEP-IDP programme in March, 2023.
Dr Rajnish Sharma conferred with an honorary position as a Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK.
Dr Pankaj Kumar received SERB-ACS-NPDF ‘Best Poster Award-2022’ for ‘Enhancement of steroidal alkaloids production using cell suspension culture and elucidating sipeimine biosynthesis in Fritillaria roylei, a high value endangered medicinal herb of Himalayas’ under biological science category in December, 2022.
Dr Rajnish Sharma received ‘Best oral presentation award’ in ‘International conference BioSangam 2022: Emerging trends in Biotechnology’ held at Motilal Nehru Institute of Information Technology, Prayagraj in March, 2022.
Dr Pankaj Kumar received ‘Young Scientists Fellowship Award’ Department of Health Research, ICMR-New Delhi in November, 2021.
Dr Manisha Thakur elected as a member of Plant Tissue Culture Association of India in February, 2020.
