Union Minister Jitendra Singh unveiled a new variety of lotus flower with 108 petals, named ‘Namoh 108’. It was developed by Lucknow-based CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI).
The ‘NBRI Namoh 108’ lotus variety flowers from March to December and is the first flower whose genome is completely sequenced for its characteristics.
The minister also launched the Lotus Mission and said this project was being undertaken in a mission mode like other priority schemes such as the National Honey and Bee Mission, National Bamboo Mission, National Food Security Mission, National Mission on Natural Farming, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture and Gokul Mission.
CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute
• The CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) in Lucknow is amongst one of the constituent research institutes of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi.
• The present CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute owes its origin to the era of Nawabs of Oudh when Nawab Saadat Ali Khan established a royal garden in 1789.
• Later, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Oudh, dedicated this royal garden to one of his favourite queens, Sikander Mahal Begum, and named this garden as ‘Sikandar Bagh’.
• During British rule, Sikander Bagh became an active centre of horticultural activities and was known as the ‘Government Horticultural Garden’. Famous British horticulturists Dr. J.Cameron, Dr. E.Bonavia, G.M.Ridley, have been associated with the activities of this garden.
• During 1932, and in the following years, Prof. Birbal Sahni and Dr. S.K. Mukherjee, both renowned plant scientists, transformed this horticulture garden to a botanic garden by acquiring additional land from government for the cultivation and study of medicinal plants. Later the Botanic Garden was renamed as ‘National Botanic Gardens’ .
• Realising its potential, the National Botanic Gardens was later adopted by CSIR in April 1953. Prof. K.N. Kaul was appointed as its first regular director.
• Since 1953, CSIR has been providing financial and various other support for the development of NBG into a national institute for plant science research.
• In 1978, ‘National Botanic Gardens’ was renamed as National Botanical Research Institute.
• It undertakes basic and applied research on various aspects of plant science, including documentation, systematics, conservation, prospection and genetic improvement with particular emphasis on under-exploited, non-traditional and wild plant genetic resources of the country for sustainable development and human welfare.
