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The
Botanical Society of Bengal
The Botanical Society of Bengal is housed in the Department
of Botany, University of Calcutta at 35 Ballygunge Circular
Road, Kolkata 700 019. The Society emerged through the endeavour
of some outstanding personalities who assembled in a meeting
held at the Botanical Laboratory, University College of Science,
Calcutta at 3- 30 p.m. on the 13th December, 1935
with Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, the then Vice-Chancellor of
the University of Calcutta as the President of meeting. This
inaugural meeting urged the formation of a society being supported
by the President Sir Prafulla Chandra Ray, Kt, Dr. S. C. Law-
the then Sheriff of Calcutta, Mr. C. C. Calder, Director, Botanical
Survey of India and the Superintendent of the Royal Botanic
Garden, Sibpur, and Professor S. C. Mahalanobis of the Presidency
College, Calcutta. The celebration of the inaugural meeting
was organised by a committee with Prof. S. P. Agharkar, the
then Sir Rashbehary Ghose Professor of Botany as its President.
Since then the Society was christened as Botanical Society of
Bengal in 1936 with the main objective to promote the cause
of Botany and safeguard the interests of Botanists of Bengal.
Late Professor G. C. Bose happened to be its first President.
His excellency, the Governor of Bengal was a patron of the
Society.In fact, from the inception, the society has been continuously
striving to serve the cause of Botany and is forging ahead following
its character of objectives.
The Society has started publishing the Bulletin since 1947.
Original Research papers in all branches of Botany are being
published from all over India and abroad. So far 61 volumes of the
Journal have been published including some special volumes.
At present the following memorial Lectures are organised regularly: i) J. Sen Memorial Lecture ii) P. Parija Memorial
Lecture iii) S. M. Sircar Memorial Lecture & iv) A. K. Ghosh
Memorial Lecture (under the auspices of Prof. T. M. Das Foundation)
v) P. C. Datta Memorial
Lecture and vi) G. Panigrahi Memorial Lecture.
In order to provide encouragement to young botanists the Society
has instituted the following awards every year with the financial
aid from the donors: i) Prof. H. L. Chakravarti Memorial Award,
ii) J. Sen Memorial Medal and iii) Dr. P. Chatterjee Memorial
Awards. Further, Prof. S. C. Datta Memorial Fund has been created
by his students to felicitate some senior botanists of the State
for their valuable contributions in Botany every year in collaboration
with the Society.
With the changing scenario of the Society acquiring an all
India character both in its publications
and membership the name of the Society was changed to National
Botanical Society in 1985. However, as desired by the members,
the Society is now functioning in the original name of “Botanical
Society of Bengal”.
The Botanical Society of Bengal celebrated its Diamond Jubilee
year (1935- 1995) in a befitting manner in 1995 and organised
a National Seminar on “Recent Advances in Plant Sciences” during
11th-
12th April, 1995. The President of the organising Committee was Prof. A. K.
Sharma and the Convenor was Prof. Ranajit Mallick. The Symposium
was inaugurated by Prof. R. N. Basu, Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Calcutta.
The Botanical Society of Bengal also organised another National
Symposium on “Frontiers of Research in Plant Sciences” during
December 2- 4, 1999 at the Auditorium, Indian Institute of Chemical
Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032.
The Inaugural Session of the Symposium was inaugurated by Dr.
(Mrs.) Manju Sharma, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology,
Govt. of India. The introductory lecture was delivered by Prof.
A. K. Sharma, CAS, Deptt. Of Botany, C.U. and Presidential address
was delivered by Prof. R. N. Basu, Vice Chancellor of the University of Calcutta.
Prof. Asis Datta, Vice-Chancellor, J.N.U., New Delhi; Dr. R.
S. Paroda, DG, ICAR, New Delhi; Prof. Anupam Verma, Dean &
Jt. Director, IARI, New Delhi; Prof. Arya K. Bal, Deptt. Of
Biology, Memorial University, Newfound Land, Canada, and several others delivered Invited
Lectures during this Symposium. There were 110 registered participants
in the Symposium.
