P.G. Department of Botany organized a 2 day National Conference on Plant Sciences: Network in
Health and Environment on Oct. 30-31, 2018. The conference was sponsored by DST & PCST. Broad Areas
in plant sciences such as: Genetic Toxicology; Emerging trends in Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics;
Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical products from plants; Cancer Biology; Omics & Genomic evolution;
Analytical Techniques/ Nanotechnology; Biodiversity and Sustainable Development Patenting & IPRs; Ex-
situ and In-situ Conservation; Air/Soil/Water Pollution Monitoring and Management; Environmental
Biotechnology and Resilience & Bioremediation were covered during the conference. There were 10 Invited
Presentations, 10 Oral Presentations and 141 Poster Presentations over a span of two days. A separate
session Entitled Young Botanist Award was also held which included 5 Presentations by budding young
scholars.
The Conference was inaugurated by S. Rajinder Mohan Chinna, Honrary Secretary, Khalsa College
Charitable Society and welcome address was delivered by our worthy Principal Dr. Mehal Singh. Dr. M.S.
Batra (Dean Sciences, Khalsa College Amritsar), Heads of various faculties of the college and guest from
various colleges and universities were present during the occasion. Keynote Address was delivered by
Dr. Anil Sood, Ex-Chief Scientist & Acting Director, IHBT, Palampur. Dr. Sood emphasized on the
importance of bamboos and discussed several unique features such as enigmatic flowering behaviour,
flowering cycles, high biomass production and methods of propagation in bamboos.
There were 3 Invited Presentations in Technical Session I. Dr. Raj Kumar Salar (CDLU, Hissar)
spoke about Modulation of Nutritional Value of Grains using Solid State Fermentation, Dr. Geetika Sirhindi
(Punjabi University Patiala) gave a presentation on 28-homobrassinolide Induced Oxidative Stress
Tolerance in Brassica juncea under Dual Stress of Salt and Temperature and Dr. Saroj Arora (GNDU,
Amritsar) addressed the audience about Diversity of Plants: Retrospect, Prospects and Conservation.
Lunch break was followed by Technical Session II in which Prof. Renu Bhardwaj (GNDU, Amritsar)
discussed about Plant Adaptations to Environmental Stress for Sustainability in the Era of Climate Change
and Dr. Munruchi Kaur (Punjabi University Patiala) shared her research experience on Diversity of Agaric
Flora of North West India. Technical Session I was chaired by Prof. Adarsh Pal Vig and Technical Session
II was chaired by Prof. Sunita Arora (JNV University, Jodhpur). Dr. Manish Kapoor, Dr. Avneetpal Singh
and Dr. Arneet Grewal also dispersed the knowledge regarding their respective fields of research.
A session parallel to Technical Session-I was held for young scholars competing for the Young
Botanist Award. The judges Prof. Avinash Nagpal (GNDU, Amritsar) and Prof. Sunita Arora meticulously
scrutinized the research work of the competitors. The winners of the young botanist award were Ms. Astha
Bhatia and Ms. Kritika Pandit from Department of Botanical and Environment Sciences, GNDU, Amritsar.
Technical Sessions III and IV were conducted on 31 st October, 2018. Dr. Amarjit Singh Soodan
emphasized on Role of Grasses in Monitoring Global Warming and its Mitigation. In the Technical Session
IV Dr. M.S. Bhatti addressed the audience about River Water Quality: A Case Study of Major
Environmental Disaster in Beas River on 17 May 2018. Mr. Baldev Singh from Department of
Biotechnology, GNDU, Amritsar and Dr. Jasjeet Kaur from Department of Pharmaceutics, Khalsa College
of Pharmacy, Amrtisar presented their research work on Biotechnological Strategies to Combat with a Leaf
Spot Disease of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal and Development and Characterization of Chlorogenic Acid
Loaded Nanocarrier of Atorvastatin for Improved Efficacy respectively. Technical Session III was chaired
by Prof. Satwinderjeet Kaur and technical Session IV was joined chaired by Dr. Rajinder Kaur Gill.
There were 141 abstracts for poster presentations. Posters were displayed, adjudged and five best
poster awards were given.
Prof. Kirandeep Kaur Hundal coordinator "PSNHE-2018" delivered the vote of thanks in the
concluding day of the conference. Dr. Rajbir Singh organizing secretary "PSNHE-2018" appreciated all the
participants for enriching the audience through their valuable research work and faculty members for
making this conference successful. The others present included Dr. Harjinder Singh, Dr. Madhu, Dr. Prabhjit

Kaur, Dr. Paramjeet Kaur, Dr. Harpreet Kaur, Dr. Maninder Kaur, Dr. Saraswati, Prof. Ramandeep Kaur,
Prof. Aishwarya Gurang, Prof. Sandeep Kaur and Prof. Navneet Kaur.