History - Department of Botany

St. Dominic’s college, Kanjirapally was founded in 1965. It functioned as a junior college with pre-degree courses till 1976. In the very same year of the beginning of the college, Department of Botany was also established. The department started with 2 batches of pre-degree II group classes and in 1981 two more batches were added along with the introduction of the shift system in the college. The department was upgraded to an undergraduate department with B.Sc Botany (Vocational) degree course in the model-II stream of the Mahatma Gandhi University in1998.

Rev.Fr. Jose Puthenkaduppil was the first faculty in the Department and he was prompted as the Principal of the college in1984.Smt.Daisy Mathew succeeded him as the head of the Department and she retired on 31.03.1997.Sri Emmanuel took over as the head of the department on 01.04.1997 and 2011 April 01 Sri Emmanuel was promoted as the Principal of the college and succeeded by Dr Jojo George as the Head of the Department. In 2018 Dr Jojo George was promoted as the Vice Principal. In 2020 Prof Michael Thomas took over as the head of the department. At present there are 8 teachers, 2 permanent and 6 guest lecturers working in the Department.

The college is situated in a rural area with agricultural background, having rubber plantations and small scale farmers. To cater to the need of the community, the college opted for vocational courses in Botany with Horticulture and Nursery Management as the vocational subject. Horticulture and Floriculture are the two fast developing sectors in Indian agriculture and commerce. The degree course in the department is unique in the university in combinations of subjects – Botany, Horticulture and Zoology. M.Sc Botany was started in the unaided stream in the year 2013. In 2014, department also started M. Sc Botany in aided stream.

The university conducts the course in semester system. The students are given four levels of study-theoretical in the classroom, practical in the lab, work experience in the field and on the job training in reputed firms –to undergo one month of on- the job training and to submit a project report.

• 1965 – College established
• 1965 –Department of Biology was also established with two batches of Pre-degree II Group
• 1981 – Two more batches of Pre-degree II Group added
• 1984 –Fr. Jose Puthenkaduppil, first faculty of Botany promoted as the Principal
• 1998 – upgraded to an undergraduate department with B.Sc Botany (Vocational)
• 2011– Prof V A Emmanuel, Head of the Department of Botany promoted as the Principal
• 2014– Elevated to a postgraduate department with M. Sc Botany.
• 2018 – Dr Jojo George , Head of the Department of Botany promoted as the Vice Principal