Botanical Survey of India
Encyclopedia
The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) is an institution set up by the Government of India
in 1887 to survey
the plant resources of the Indian empire.
had already established botanical gardens at Sibpur, Poona, Saharanpur
and Madras as centres for improving botanical knowledge and experimentation under the local Governments. For example, the Saharanpur botanical garden
, which dates from before 1750, was acquired by the East India Company in 1817 for growing medicinal plants. Most of the EIC botanical gardens' work was for the cultivation of plants of interest in commerce and trade. It is under Ministry of Environment and Forests.
The Botanical Survey was formally instituted on 13 February 1890 under the direction of Sir George King
, who had been superintendent of Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta since 1871. King became the first ex-officio Director of BSI. The Calcutta Garden became the headquarters of the Survey and was given regional responsibility for Bengal, Assam, North East, Burma, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
in 1887 to survey
Survey
-Quantitative research:* Statistical survey, a method for collecting quantitative information about items in a population* Paid survey, a method that companies use to collect consumer opinions about a product by paying consumers for participating in the survey...
the plant resources of the Indian empire.
History
The British East India CompanyBritish East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
had already established botanical gardens at Sibpur, Poona, Saharanpur
Saharanpur
Saharanpur is a city and a Municipal Corporation in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur District as well as Saharanpur Division...
and Madras as centres for improving botanical knowledge and experimentation under the local Governments. For example, the Saharanpur botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
, which dates from before 1750, was acquired by the East India Company in 1817 for growing medicinal plants. Most of the EIC botanical gardens' work was for the cultivation of plants of interest in commerce and trade. It is under Ministry of Environment and Forests.
The Botanical Survey was formally instituted on 13 February 1890 under the direction of Sir George King
George King (botanist)
Sir George King , was a British botanist appointed superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta in 1871, and the first Director of the Botanical Survey of India from 1890. King was awarded the Linnean Medal in 1901....
, who had been superintendent of Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta since 1871. King became the first ex-officio Director of BSI. The Calcutta Garden became the headquarters of the Survey and was given regional responsibility for Bengal, Assam, North East, Burma, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
See also
- List of Botanical Gardens in India
- Agri Horticultural Society of IndiaAgri Horticultural Society of IndiaThe Agri Horticultural Society of India was founded in 1820 by William Carey on the Alipore Road, Kolkata. It has a flower garden, greenhouses, a research laboratory and a library. It houses a massive collection of plants and flowers...
, Alipore, KolkataKolkataKolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India... - Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Botanical Garden, Shibpur, KolkataKolkataKolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
- Lalbagh, BangaloreBangaloreBengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava... - Government Botanical Gardens, UdagamandalamGovernment Botanical Gardens, UdagamandalamThe Government Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden in Udagamandalam , Tamil Nadu state, India, were laid out in 1847. The Gardens, divided into several sections, cover an area of around 22 hectares, and lie on the lower slopes of the Doddabetta peak. The garden has a terraced layout...
, OotacamundOotacamundOotacamund , is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills...
, Tamil NaduTamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh... - Orchidarium, Yercaud, Tamil NaduTamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
- Lloyd's Botanical GardenLloyd's Botanical GardenLloyd's Botanical Garden, or Darjeeling Botanical Garden, is a botanical garden in Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal.-History:...
, Darjeeling, West BengalWest BengalWest Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
- Agri Horticultural Society of India
- List of botanical gardens worldwide
- Zoological Survey of IndiaZoological Survey of IndiaThe Zoological Survey of India is a premier Indian organisation in zoological research and studies. It was established on 1 July 1916 to promote the survey, exploration and research of the fauna in the region...
(ZSI) - Geological Survey of IndiaGeological Survey of IndiaGeological Survey of India , established in 1851 is a government organization in India which is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines of Union Government of India for conducting geological surveys and studies. It is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and the second oldest...
(GSI) - maintains 2 fossil parks currently - National Botanical Research InstituteNational Botanical Research InstituteNational Botanical Research Institute is a research institute of CSIR in Lucknow. It is engaged in the field of taxonomy and modern biology.-History:...