RASHTRASANT TUKADOJI MAHARAJ NAGPUR UNIVERSITY

About us

About Us:

Name of the Department:Post Graduate Teaching Department of Biochemistry
Year of Establishment:1946
Head of the Department: Prof. Archana Ninad Moon
Brief Introduction of the Department:
University Department of Biochemistry is one of the oldest departments in the University.
It was established in 1946 by Prof. M. C. Nath. It is situated in Laxminarayan Institute of Technology Campus and is surrounded by lush green ambience. Department is housed in 2231.11 sq. mt. area with an infrastructure for research in almost all aspects of Biochemistry. The sanctioned teaching strength is 09. Presently 01 faculty is recruited.

The M. Sc. Course in Biochemistry is of 02 years duration. The choice based credit system (CBCS) according to the Semester System has been implemented from 2015. The faculty of the Department has framed the syllabus. The Objectives of the Department are to achieve excellence in teaching through periodic class tests, seminars, group discussions, preparing the students to participate in various competitions, organizing seminars, workshops and conferences etc. Short term objectives include procuring SAP, FIST-Level II as soon as faculty strength reaches six. The long term plans envisaged for the department are to make exhaustive research facilities available as well as to achieve status of Centre of excellence in biochemical research.

History of Department of Biochemistry:

The year was 1945. The Nagpur University had hosted the annual session of the Indian Science Congress in January. A young scientist from Dacca University, Dr. Madhab Chandra Nath, and D.Sc. was a delegate at the session. At a tea party given by the vice-Chancellor Justice W.R. Puranik, Shrimant M.G. Chitnavis of Nagpur met Dr. Nath. During their conversation, Dr. Nath told him about his work and impressed upon him the importance of the comparatively newer discipline i.e. biochemistry. Shri. Chitnavis then expressed his desire to establish a research centre, which could contribute towards the alleviation of human suffering. Dr. Nath explained to him that the proper place to do this would be Nagpur University.

After a long and vigorous correspondence, Shrimant Chitnavis donated Rs. One hundred thousand to Nagpur University for establishing the Department of Biochemistry. Dr. Nath assumed the charge of Chitnavis Professor in Biochemistry and head on 1st June 1946. This was the day when the first biochemistry department took birth in India.

The Department was initially housed in two rooms in the Laxminarayan Institute of Technology and Prof. Nath along with his team of researchers (some of them from Dacca), started their work in the right earnest. Specialization in Biochemistry was introduced in the course of M.Sc. in chemistry, which was conducted by the Government College of Science, Nagpur. Students, opting for biochemistry used to come to the department on Fridays and Saturdays for theory and practicals. The degree they got was M.Sc. in Chemistry with specialization in Biochemistry.

But, the initial grant could not last for more than three years. Funding from other sources was absolutely essential if the department was to survive. Pandit Ravishankar Shukla, Chief Minister of M.P. and Dr. Shyam Prasad Mukherjee, the then union minister, cane to help. The U.G.C. recognized the department and started funding it through five-year plans. A new and independent building of the department started taking shape in the L.I.T. campus, and the ground floor of the building was completed in 1951.

With the department on firm financial footing, the research output showed a significant spurt. The department came to be recognized as an important centre of biochemical research in the country particularly in the area of metabolism in health and disease.

In 1952, a comprehensive two- year M.Sc. course in biochemistry was started. The teaching staff consisted of professor Nath and two lecturers- Dr. V.G. Hatwalne and Dr. C.H. Chakrabarti. Dr. Shantiswarup Bhatnagar sanctioned an additional funding and one post of a lecturer in physiology after a visit to the department. Dr. S. Mukherjee then joined as lecturer in physiology.

The department had started attracting students from all over the country making it very cosmopolitan in composition and outlook. The kindly and protective nature of the professors and other staff members and their spouses made it a home away from all corners of the country. All of them will agree that the two years of their stay in the department was the most memorable period of their lives.

As a number of PhD students joined the department a regular flow of research papers in national and international journals of repute started. A number of research schemes funded by agencies such as CSIR, ICMR, UGC, State Government etc. were take up. Prof. Houssay and many other eminent scientists and Nobel Laureates visited the department. Dr. Roychoudhary from Calcutta joined the department as a lecturer in physiology in 1961 in place of Dr. S. Mukherjee who had left for Canada. In late fifties Dr. V.G. Hatwalne left for New South Wales University, Sydney, Australia as a Columbus Plan fellow. On his return in 1963, he and Dr. C.H. Chakrabarti were promoted to Readers post.

Further recognition of the work by the department came in the form of presidentship of the physiology section of the annual session of Indian Science Congress in 1964 followed by Wattumal foundation awards in 1965 to Prof. Nath. In 1964 Dr. Nath joined as a lecturer followed by Dr. H.F. Daginawala (after completing his PhD at the University of Texas) and Dr. N.V. Shastri in 1968.The department completed its 25 years of fruitful existence in 1971 and its silver jubilee was celebrated in a befitting manner in January 1971 with a National Symposium on biochemistry. It was a happy get together of the alumni of the Department. But the event had an under current of sadness , Prof. Nath, who had so fondly nurtured the department to its position of eminence was to retire from service on 15th March 1971. The staff and students gave a touching farewell to him. It was a good touching farewell to him. It was a good fortune for the department that he continued to work as an Emeritus Scientist for 3 more years and even after that he was always available for consultation for any consultations for any problem be it academic or otherwise, till the very end of his life.

In 1972, Dr. V.G. Hatwalne took over as the Professor and Head of the Department. By this time, the strength of the students and research workers had gone up considerably. Syllabi were extensively modified in view of phenomenal developments in the subject. The department had still continued with the tradition.

Along with the new and emerging areas being taken up for research, the department also undertook some other extension activities. A Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory was established in 1974 and Shri M.K. Deshpande joined as a Biochemist. The laboratory now undertakes the special diagnostic investigations at subsidized rates and its being recognized by many government and non-government agencies such as CGHS, WCL, MOIL and MECL etc. Shri Deshpande, who subsequently became a lecturer, is now being assisted by two Research Assistants. Their stipend is being drawn from the funds generated by the laboratory. The department has a good animal house and breeding of albino rats and mice is taken up regularly. These animals are made available on payment to Educational and Research Institutes.

The Nagpur University celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1973. A grant of Rs. 5.5 lacs was offered from the Golden Jubilee fund to start M.Sc. Course in Microbiology. The teaching and non-teaching staff of the Department of Biochemistry, under the stewardship of Prof. V.G. Hatwalne, came forward in 1975 the course in Microbiology was started. The first batch of M.Sc. in Microbiology came out in June 1977. Unfortunately, Prof. Hatwalne did not live to see that day. He passed away on 10th of January 1977 after a prolonged illness. His demise was a great loss to the department.

In 1978, Dr. C.H. Chakrabarti became Professor and Head of the Department and Dr. Aqueel Khan , Dr. G.B. Shinde and Dr. K.V. Shankhapal joined as lecturers. In the same year, Dr. H.F. Daginawala joined the Department of Microbiology as a Reader.

In 1979, three optional papers Clinical Biochemistry, Applied Biochemistry and Nutrition were introduced in the M.Sc. II course. This was also the time when a new wing was added to the existing building of the Department of Biochemistry. The Department received a second blow when Dr. D. Roy Choudhary breathed his last in 1981after a brief illness.

Dr. H.F. Daginawala returned to his parent department in 1983 as Chitnavis Professor. In 1985 Dr. Chakrabarti retired from service after a distinguished career. Dr. Daginawala took the reins of department in 1985. In the same year Dr. Mandakini Patil and Dr. Swati Kotwal joined the department as lecturers. In the same year Dr. N.M Parhad was appointed professor of Microbiology.

In eighties, the department successfully initiated a move to introduce Biochemistry as one of the subjects at the B.Sc. level. New optional papers in plant biochemistry, biochemical toxicology and Biochemistry of metabolic diseases were introduced. The syllabus now has four theory papers in each year instead of the earlier three. The syllabus was completely overhauled to accommodate the newer fields such as Molecular Biology, Immunology, Biotechnology etc.

In 1986, the department in association with NEERI and the Department of Microbiology organized the 27th Annual Conference of the Association of Microbiologists of India. The conference was attended by more than three hundred delegates.

Dr. Nirmalendu Nath took over as the Head in 1992 for a period of three years. A tragedy struck again when the department lost Dr. C.H. Chakrabarti on June 2, 1989 and its founder, Prof. M.C. Nath, on January 10, 1990. His memory shall however continue to inspire the future generation of students to excel in their endeavours.

A refresher course in Biochemistry for teachers of Biochemistry was organized by the department in association with Academic Staff College, Nagpur University, Nagpur. Dr. Daginawala again assumed the charge of the Head for some time before his retirement in June 1996. He was given a fond and memorable farewell in a well-attended function. Since then Prof. Nath is managing the affairs as the Head of the Department.

The Department celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1997 which was a momentous occasion for the Department. No doubt, it is was an occasion to rejoice, but it was also an occasion to take stock and plan for a better future. With guidance from eminent persons participating in the Golden Jubilee Celebrations, the Department has continued to grow and follow the path shown by stalwarts and leaders in Biochemistry, to be successfully face the challenges of the next millennium.

In 2003, new faculty joined the Department creating vibrancy and zest for research. Dr, Pratima Jadhav joined as Associate Professor while Mrs. Archana Moon as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Jahdav then took over the charge as Head of the Department. She left this post and the Department to join her parent institute at Mumbai in 2005. Dr. Aqueel Khan again resumed as Head.

The Diamond Jubilee Celebration of the Department in 2007 cherished its achievements and relished the challenges ahead. Since, the founding of the Department, Biochemistry has advanced faster and has assumed a more central role in biological researches. It has been the endeavour of the Department to keep abreast with the changing trends and pursue excellence in research and teaching. This continues to be a hallmark of the Department. The Diamond Jubilee was marked with academic activities, which included a workshop on ‘Intellectual Property Rights and patenting System in India’ in January 2007 followed by Prof. M. C. Nath memorial Lecture Series in Marchto py deserving tributes to its founder Professor. The jubilee was concluded with a conference on the theme ‘Current Trends in Biochemistry’ during 27-29 December, 2007. The Organizing Committee made all attempts to construct a scientific program that presented current developments and achievements in biochemical research. Distinguished and eminent scientists from leading institutes delivered their lectures on cutting edge research in biochemistry.

Another faculty member, Dr. Virendra Meshram joined as Professor in 2009. In 2013, Dr. Moon was appointed as select grade Associate Professor and eventually appointed as Professor under Career Advancement scheme in 2016. Down the road, the department celebrated its 70 years of existence in 2016. The Department was awarded the RUSA Project for technology transfer to Dr. Archana Moon, wherein the first successful technology transfer of the University to the Industry occurred. Today, we are at the cusp of celebrating 75 years of existence of the Department. 160 Ph. Ds are awarded in the subject of Biochemistry. During these challenges times of the COVID-19 pandemic and the looming threat, the Department strives to always excel by giving equal opportunities to all its students via the online teaching platform and will definitely rise and shine to the glory that is apt for one of the oldest Department of Biochemistry in Central India.

Career prospects:

The Post Graduate students of Biochemistry have ample opportunities in various fields of Biochemistry.
The students can opt to go into basic scientific research as well as applied research. The Multi National Companies dealing in Pharmaceuticals, Research and Development, Agriculture, Microbial Technology, Enzyme Technology, Vaccinology, Immunology, Food Industries/Technology and Clinical Trial studies hire M. Sc. Biochemistry students with a good salary package.

Also Clinical Research, Hospital Administration, DMLT are some of the PG Diploma Courses which are available for the students who aspire to go into administrative and clinical research. The area of Academics is also available for students who qualify the NET examination for various posts in the affiliated Colleges and in the University.

The CSIR institutes offer JRF/SRF to those students who qualify the CSIR-UGC NET examination for JRF which would lead to their obtaining Ph. D in the field of Biochemistry. Also, students can enroll in the Department for Ph. D.

The Department offers Teaching on Contributory basis for exemplary students.

Students aspiring to do their Ph. D in Biochemistry and affiliated sciences after their M. Sc. in Biochemistry can opt for competitive examinations like GRE, TOEFL etc., to qualify for admissions in various prestigious Universities.

Highlights of the Department:

1. A state –of-art animal house which breeds and supplies Wistar strains of rats for Research and Educational purpose. A Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory,
2. There is a Counseling and a Placement Guidance Cell for the students of the Department,
3. Students welfare activities are conducted routinely,
4. Seminars are conducted regularly as per schedule,
   Annual Social Gathering and Sports Event are organized every year,
5. A Tree Plantation Drive along with Shramdaan is taken up every year, Various Conferences/ Seminars/ Workshops/ Symoposia are organized for the students’ benefit at regular intervals.
6. A regular ‘Meet the Scientist Program’ facilitates the eminent Scientist-Student Interaction,
7. A Continuous Technical Skill Development Program is taken up every year for the technical upgradation of the student community. Linkages with industry/Research Institutes through visits are encouraged for the placement benefit to the students,
8. Achievement of the students and the Ph. D awardees are displayed on the notice Board for wide visibility,
9. Guest Lectures are organized for the benefit of the students from time to time on a regular basis,
10. Prof. M. C. Nath Memorial Lecture Series has been initiated since last 07 years in which the eminent scientists are invited to deliver lectures and thereby enhance students’-scientists’ interaction,
11. A Parent-Teacher Association is in place to provide an interaction between the two for the students’ benefit,
12. An Alumni Association Meeting is conducted twice a year to get feedback about the Department and building the strategy for development of the Department.
13. Students’ feedback about academic offering of the Department is taken every year.
14. UGC Visiting Professor’s Lectures are organized every year.
15. The Department is an active Chapter of Society of Biological Chemists’ India.
16. A Brochure of the Department has also been designed for information purposes.
17. An E-Newsletter is being circulated regularly since 2012 for the student community and alumni for updating purposes.

Achievements of the Department:

Till date more than 160 students have been awarded Ph. D, 10 M. Phil have been awarded.

In the last five years 05 patents, 45 research papers have been published in International Journals and 30 in National Journals, All the faculty members are referees/reviewers for National and International Journals, All the faculty members are Ph. D thesis examiners for various Universities, All the faculty members are appointed on various academic bodies of the University and other Universities, All faculty are life members of various academic and professional bodies.

Consultancy services offered:

Services provided about animal breeding, animal experimentation and animal sale. Services regarding cancer biology, diabetes, diagnostic testing, medicinal plant research and molecular biology are provided.

Expertise available in the Department:

Expertise with respect to animal and plant tissue culture, cancer biology, formulation of nutrient mixtures for specific disease models, development of disease models in rats, bioremediation and phytoremediation, mdr mechanisms, toxicological studies and bioactive phytochemicals characterization is available with the Department.