A career in Botany might just be one of the most preferred careers in India. Botany as a subject is related to the study of plants and a career in it would mean studying in depth about fungi, algae, plants, diseases, growth, metabolism and structure between different groups. When planning a career in Botany, the job profile can include the study of plants, research, working with industries, teaching, self-employment, and being a part of many more fields.
A person who works in this field is called as a botanist. It will be the job of the botanist to study plant life along with finding solutions to problems related to that of forest and agriculture. There are also botanists who deal with space travel agriculture, artificial environments, hydroponics and various other interesting areas of research.
Eligibility for Botany Courses
For admission to a bachelor’s degree program, the candidate needs to pass his higher secondary education or 10+2 with biology, chemistry and physics as the main subject with a minimum of 55 to 60 percent. The duration of the UG programs is mostly three years.
In order to take admission into a master’s degree program, the candidate must have done their bachelor’s degree in the relevant subject. The duration of the PG programs is mostly two years.
A few of the industries which one can work with are:
- Chemical Industry
- Food Companies
- Arboretum
- Forest Services
- Biotechnology Firms
- Oil Industry
- Land Management Agencies
- Seed and Nursery Companies
- Plant Health Inspection Services
- National Parks
- Biological Supply Houses
- Plant Resources Laboratory
- Educational Institutions
Courses –
- B.Sc Botany
- M.Sc Botany
Some institutes offering Botany Courses in India
- Thames Degree College, Hyderabad
- Khalsa College, Amritsar
- B.N. Seal College, West Bengal
- V. Kanthamma College for Women, Karnataka
- V.C. College, Mannampandal, tamil Nadu
- Maharshi Dayanand University
- Banaras Hindu University
- Aligarh Muslim University
- V. Postgraduate College, Hyderabad
Job Roles –
Primary Responsibilities
Botanists are primarily responsible for researching various categories of plant life. They might determine how different plants affect different environments as well as how certain plants can affect the chemical makeup in solutions used for medicines, food or building materials like wood. Botanists conduct their research in laboratories and outdoors on field expeditions. They also classify and categorize the different types of plants they research based on their cellular makeup. In addition, botanists conduct experiments on plant life to determine growth and oxygenation patterns and how those patterns might affect the environment.
Secondary Tasks
In addition to their research work, some botanists also take up conservationist causes. They might provide information to park rangers, agricultural corporations and environmental lobbyists on how to protect and preserve plant life and explain its impact on the environment. Botanists sometimes give presentations at universities, corporations and community groups to explain plant life and its environmental value. Some botanists also teach full-time as high school or college biology, botany or environmental science instructors