Introduction

• Department of Biosciences (UGC-SAP DRS-II) is a premier academic and research institute of the south Gujarat region established under the developmental grants of UGC during the IV Five-year plan in the year 1977.

• The department was founded in 1977 with founder Head- Dr. B. S. Vaidya and later on headed by scholars and luminaries like Prof. P. K Hiradhar, Prof. M. H. Parabia, Prof. P. K. Gadhia, Prof. P. V. Desai, Prof. S. K. Tank and Currently, Prof. M. N. Reddy is deputed as Head the department.

• The Department of Biosciences is imparting education to students at P.G.D.M.L.T., M.Sc., M. Phil and Ph.D level.

• Department has well-equipped laboratories with good analytical instrumentation facilities.

• Shri Bapalal Vaidya Botanical Research Centre is a part of Biosciences Department which was established in 1994 with donations from the public to conduct research in medicinal plants.

• Department is multidisciplinary in nature, offering Master degree courses in Bioscience with three different streams viz. Zoology, Botany, and Microbiology.

• To cater the need of specialization in microbiology in the south Gujarat region, the department has started M.Sc. Microbiology Self-finance course from 2010-11.

• Department is vigorously involved in the applied research and offers M. Phil and Ph.D. in Bioscience with specialization in Zoology, Botany, and Microbiology. More than 125 Ph. D. students have passed out successfully since the establishment of the department .

• The department has been awarded UGC SAP (I) in thrust area of Toxicity Evaluation of Textile Industry Effluent during 2011-16 and UGC SAP (II) in thrust area of environmental toxicology and ecogenomics for the period of 2018-2023.

• GSBTM and GUJCOST has awarded Bioinformatics Laboratory and super computer facility in 2017.

• In the year 2019, the department also received the DST-FIST Level-I grant for developing Next-generation sequencing facility for research in Host-Microbiome Interaction as thrust area.

• The department faculties have completed many research projects and four projects are also ongoing, funded by state and national agencies. The department provides the holistic environment for catering academic, research career development needs of the students.

• Presently Department offers five free studentships for PG students, (One research Fellowship for M. Phil./Ph. D. students and three gold medals for topper PG students in Zoology, Botany and Microbiology) every year from the MinooParabia Endowment Fund and three UGC-BSR fellowships every year for perusing doctoral degree

Vision

“To be an institute of higher education by nurturing the learner of life sciences to meet the regional needs and the emerging trends in the global scenario.”

Key objectives

• • To offer globally competitive higher education in diverse disciplines of life sciences

  • To permeate good practices for education, research and environmental values in the learners

  • To inculcate research culture in learners with proficiency development