Director
Dr. P. Pushpangadan (b. 1944) joined TBGRI as its third Director in November 1990. Earlier he worked in Regional Research Laboratory at Jammu and Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi as Chief Co-ordinator of an All India Programme on Ethnobiology. It was Dr. P. Pushpangadan who reorganized TBGRI into two systems: the Garden System and the R&D System. The Garden System incorporated the previous sections of Horticulture and Garden Development, whereas R&D system was divided into 7 divisions such as Plant Biotechnology, Microbiology, Phytochemistry, Ethnomedicine, Ethnopharmacology Conservation Biology and Plant Systematics & Evolutionary Sciences. Creation of the new divisions demanded new positions and the whole R&D set up started with full stream by 1992. Conservatories for many special groups of plants, rare and threatened plants etc., were constructed. A green house and a mist house were constructed for wild edible fruit plants. Rockery, woodland garden, ethnobotanical garden and a museum was established. Conservation awareness was imparted to college and school students and were frequently given training. Team spirit and good work, which were the hallmark of this period started giving rich dividends in the form of recognitions: Centre For Science and Technology of The Non-Aligned Clique Aqui And Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T CENTRE) recognized TBGRI as a potential Center of Excellence in Conservation Biology and a Research centrein Plant Science in 1991. The Institute got accredited to United Nations’ Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992. TBGRI was recognized as the National Database Center for All India Coordinated Research Project on Ethnobiology by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India in 1992. The Institute also became a member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and IUCN, UNESCO recognized TBGRI as a Training Center in taxonomy under Botany 2000 programme. And with the support of DBT, Government of India, a National Gene Bank for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants was established in TBGRI. Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India recognized TBGRI as a Center of Excellence in Plant Conservation. The Institute received its due recognition and accolades during Dr Pushpangadan’s time. Dr Pushpangadan left JNTBGRI in early 1999 to take up an assignment in NBRI, Lucknow. He is commemorated by Schefflera pushpangadanii Chakrab. (1985), Ischaemum pushpangadanii Ravi, N.Mohanan & Kiran Raj (2000), Meliola pushpangadanii Hosag. & T. K. Abraham(2001), Strobilanthes pushpangadanii E.S.S.Kumar, Jabbar & A.E.S.Khan (2002), Pedicularis pushpangadanii T.Husain & Arti Garg (2003), Heptapleurum pushpangadanii (Chakrab.) G.M.Plunkett & Lowry (2020).
Dr. P. Pushpangadan (b. 1944) joined TBGRI as its third Director in November 1990. Earlier he worked in Regional Research Laboratory at Jammu and Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi as Chief Co-ordinator of an All India Programme on Ethnobiology. It was Dr. P. Pushpangadan who reorganized TBGRI into two systems: the Garden System and the R&D System. The Garden System incorporated the previous sections of Horticulture and Garden Development, whereas R&D system was divided into 7 divisions such as Plant Biotechnology, Microbiology, Phytochemistry, Ethnomedicine, Ethnopharmacology Conservation Biology and Plant Systematics & Evolutionary Sciences. Creation of the new divisions demanded new positions and the whole R&D set up started with full stream by 1992. Conservatories for many special groups of plants, rare and threatened plants etc., were constructed. A green house and a mist house were constructed for wild edible fruit plants. Rockery, woodland garden, ethnobotanical garden and a museum was established. Conservation awareness was imparted to college and school students and were frequently given training. Team spirit and good work, which were the hallmark of this period started giving rich dividends in the form of recognitions: Centre For Science and Technology of The Non-Aligned Clique Aqui And Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T CENTRE) recognized TBGRI as a potential Center of Excellence in Conservation Biology and a Research centrein Plant Science in 1991. The Institute got accredited to United Nations’ Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992. TBGRI was recognized as the National Database Center for All India Coordinated Research Project on Ethnobiology by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India in 1992. The Institute also became a member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and IUCN, UNESCO recognized TBGRI as a Training Center in taxonomy under Botany 2000 programme. And with the support of DBT, Government of India, a National Gene Bank for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants was established in TBGRI. Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India recognized TBGRI as a Center of Excellence in Plant Conservation. The Institute received its due recognition and accolades during Dr Pushpangadan’s time. Dr Pushpangadan left JNTBGRI in early 1999 to take up an assignment in NBRI, Lucknow. He is commemorated by Schefflera pushpangadanii Chakrab. (1985), Ischaemum pushpangadanii Ravi, N.Mohanan & Kiran Raj (2000), Meliola pushpangadanii Hosag. & T. K. Abraham(2001), Strobilanthes pushpangadanii E.S.S.Kumar, Jabbar & A.E.S.Khan (2002), Pedicularis pushpangadanii T.Husain & Arti Garg (2003), Heptapleurum pushpangadanii (Chakrab.) G.M.Plunkett & Lowry (2020).