Botany

The department of Botany is in the midst lush green vegetation providing a congenital environment for enhancing students studies. Earlier the department was housed in Biology building since 1937 and subsequently moved to its independent building in 1951. Biology was taught in main building (Arts Building).

The Botany subject was introduced at the subsidiary level of the graduate course in science. Prof. D.V. Shinde was the first to teach the B.Sc. Botany subject. Dr. L.K. Gunjikar joined him in 1937. Efforts of Prof. P.W. Gideon to introduce botany as a principle subject in 1938 was turned down by the Government of Bombay as the second world war had started. Efforts were resumed in 1946 after the second world war and the Government gave the sanction to teach Botany as the principle subject in 1946, headed by Prof.(Mrs.) Elva Gonzalves in the independent building from 1951 to 1954. She was also the pioneer of phycology in this region. The credit for this tireless effort must go to wrangler Dr. D.C. Pavate the then Director of Public Instruction.