In the year 2020, the University of Ladakh started the Department of Botany at its Kargil Campus, Khumbathang, Kargil. Initially, around 20 students enrolled, however, the strength of students increased exponentially. Currently, the total strength of the student is more than 50. In a short period of time department progressed and now has good teaching faculties/non-teaching staff. A team of experienced faculty provides the students with rigorous instruction and training to equip them with specialized theoretical principles, experimental and analytical skills. The Department has two well-equipped laboratories, excellent herbarium collections, smart classroom. Various important instruments are available in the department, that match the best available elsewhere e.g., Autoclave, Binocular microscope, centrifuge (benchtop), Dissecting microscope, Distillation Unit, Electrophoresis Unit, Flame photometer, Gel Documentation, Hot Air Oven, Laminar Air Flow, Light Microscope, Magnus Microscope (CH 20i), Microwave Oven, Micro-centrifuge, Precision Balance, Rotatory Shaker, Spectrophotometer, Thermocycler (PCR) Machine, Vertex Mixer, Water Bath (MAC). The Department is planning to procure other sophisticated instruments in future.  The main objective of M.Sc. Botany programme is to enable students to get basic theoretical concepts with hands on the applied aspects of Plant Sciences using sophisticated instruments.

The University offers a 2-year M.Sc. program with a four-semester system following the guidelines of National Education Policy 2020. The intake capacity of the department is 30 each semester. The syllabus of M.Sc. Botany covers a broad area of fundamental aspects in Plant Taxonomy, as well as all recent research focuses on Cell and Molecular Biology which helps students for parallel prepare for national-level competitive exams like CSIR-UGC-NET, GATE, etc. A student, Ms. Hameeda Banoo from the very first batch of Botany also cracked the CSIR-NET examination for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Lectureship. Recently, one student, Mr. Mohd. Ishaq from Semester-II qualified CSIR-NET for Lectureship and one student, Ms. Laila Banoo, from SEM-IV qualified LA-SET.

In addition to classroom lectures, various sessions on different fields of Botany, as well as interdisciplinary topics, are also conducted regularly by inviting world-renowned experts. Various field activities as well as study cum exposure tours to reputed institutes in different parts of the country are also conducted to enhance the ability of students.

For any queries, you can write us at botany[email protected]