Department of Botany

Dr. Saloni Bahri joined Miranda House in 2006 and has been teaching courses on reproductive biology of angiosperms, microbiology, cell biology, plant metabolism, economic botany and plant biodiversity. She has been a PI/Co-PI for three DU Innovation Projects and one DU Star Innovation Project. She was awarded the Australian Leadership Award Fellowship  by AusAID, Australia in April 2013. She has been a facilitator and mentor for a variety of summer internship research projects carried out under the aegis of the D.S. Kothari Centre for Research and Innovation in Science Education, Miranda House. She was a department coordinator for DBT Star College Scheme. She has been a resource person for several workshops including those organized for INSPIRE, DU Innovation Projects and others. She has also been the convener/coordinator for many capacity building workshops, seminars, and training programmes organized for faculty, undergraduate students and non-teaching staff. She was the  Coordinator of  Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), Miranda House from February 2023 to July 2025. She has presented papers in several National and International conferences, and symposia. She has authored many chapters in books and research papers in journals of repute.

Dr. Rashmi Shakya joined Miranda House in September 2006 as permanent faculty in the Department of Botany. She teaches Plant Physiology, Biochemistry, Metabolism and Bioinformatics. She has been actively engaged in  organizng workshops, seminars, webinars, and training programs for students and teachers in various capacities. She has coordinated add-on certificate course and short-term online course on Bioinformatics for undergraduate students. Her research interest includes Abiotic stress in plants. She has published several research articles and book chapters in journals/publishers of international repute.  

Dr. Elangbam Geetanjali has been a student of Miranda House during B.Sc. (2004) and M.Sc. (2006). She was awarded ‘Science Meritorious Award’ in B.Sc. She obtained her Ph.D. (Botany) in 2013 from University of Delhi with specialization on ‘Carbon Sequestration by Algae’. During her Ph.D., she was a fellow of DST-funded JRF, later promoted to SRF. She then worked as an Assistant Professor (Ad-hoc) in Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi from 2012-13. Before joining the Department in 2015 as a permanent faculty, she was working as a Scientist-B at Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development, an Autonomous Institute under Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, Takyelpat, Imphal, Manipur. She is the Co-Project Director in the project “Ecological, Agricultural and Livelihood Sustainability: An Integrated Rural Development Study of Loktak Lake Manipur” funded by Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education (MGNCRE) Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India; Co-PI “Scavenging of heavy metal-rich soil by Phytoremediation with the application of biofertilizers: Paradigms and prospects” sanctioned by R&D Cell, Miranda House, University of Delhi, January 2024-July 2025. She has mentored undergraduate students during summer internship program offered by DSKC. Dr. Geetanjali has been teaching courses on Microbiology and Phycology, Mycology and Phytopathology, Biodiversity, Intellectual Property Rights and Biofertilizers. She had participated in several workshops, training programs and conferences. She was also the resource person for several workshops and associated with North-East Society of the college. She is a lifetime member of Indian Phycological Society. She has ten publications, twelve poster presentations to her credit. 

Dr. Deepali , an Associate Professor in the Department of Botany at Miranda House, University of Delhi, where she has taught since 2015. She earned her Ph.D. in Botany from the Centre for Advanced Study in Botany at Banaras Hindu University in 2009, specializing in the "Isolation and Structural Elucidation of Biomolecules." A recipient of the prestigious CSIR Junior (2002) and Senior (2005) Research Fellowships, she completed her post-doctoral research at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, before serving as an Assistant Professor (Ad-hoc) at Sri Venkateswara College from 2010 to 2015. In 2024, she was honored with the Ram Prasad Sahitya Award, reflecting her deep passion for literature..

At undergraduate level, Dr. Deepali teaches Molecular Biology, Biomolecules, Cell Biology, and Plant Biochemistry. Alongside teaching, she is actively involved in college societies, summer internships through DSKC, and diverse research initiatives. She has co-guided a Ph.D. student in bioremediation, served as a PI/Co-PI for two DU Innovation Projects, and worked as a Co-Project Director on an MHRD-funded integrated rural development study of Manipur's Loktak Lake. Her academic contributions include 15 research articles in reputable international journals, 5 book chapters, and extensive experience organizing and speaking at academic workshops, seminars, and training programs.

M.Sc., B.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D. (University of Delhi)

Dr. Renuka Agrawal graduated from Miranda House with B.Sc. (Hons.) in Botany (2000). She received her M.Sc. in Botany from University of Delhi in 2002 and B.Ed. in 2004 from Department of Education (C.I.E.). Subsequently she completed her M.Phil. (2005), and Ph.D. (2011) in Botany with specialization in Molecular Biology and Molecular Cytogenetics from University of Delhi. She has received CSIR Junior and Senior Research Fellowships during her Ph.D. She was invited by Tottori University, Japan as a Visiting Researcher (2008-2009). She has published four research articles, one review article in peer reviewed indexed international journals of repute and two book chapters. She joined the Department of Botany, Miranda House in July 2010. She has been teaching papers on cell and molecular biology, genetics, plant biotechnology, analytical techniques in plant sciences, bioinformatics and economic botany.

Dr. Somdutta Sinha Roy   M.Sc., Ph.D. (Delhi)

Dr. Sinha Roy graduated from Gargi College in 1992 with a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Botany and subsequently did her M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the Department of Botany, University of Delhi. Towards her Ph.D. dissertation, Dr. Sinha Roy investigated the root biology of grasses and worked extensively on the biochemical properties of root mucilages, particularly of species in the arid region. In 2002, Dr. Sinha Roy joined the Department of Biochemistry at Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA, for her postdoctoral work. She has worked extensively on the effect of pollutants on lung and breast cancer development with a focus on membrane phospholipid biosynthesis and vitamin A metabolism. Before coming back to India, Dr. Sinha Roy worked as a senior postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. She has twenty-five peer-reviewed research publications and five book chapters. She joined Miranda House in January 2014. Since then, she has been teaching courses on Plant Physiology and Metabolism, Ecology, Plant Systematics, and Biostatistics. Dr. Sinha Roy has been actively involved in student research projects under DSKC and other research initiatives in the college.

Dr. Laishram Sundari Devi graduated from Miranda House (2008-2011 batch). She pursued her M.Sc. (2013) and Ph.D. (2021) from Department of Botany, University of Delhi. Her doctoral research focused on molecular, phylogenetic, and expression analyses of genes associated with apomixis in Cenchrus ciliaris L. and the optimization of genetic transformation techniques in this species. She is a recipient of CSIR/UGC Junior and Senior Research Fellowships and ICAR-NET qualification. Her research findings have been published in reputed peer-reviewed journals, with contributions in the area of plant genetic transformation and biotechnology. She was also selected as Indo-U.S. Genome Engineering/Editing Technologies Intern (2017) under Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum, funded by DBT, Govt. of India and worked on the “Development of CRISPR interference vector for a Polycomb gene CcEZ1 isolated from apomictic Cenchrus ciliaris L.” under the supervision of Prof. Jian-Kang Zhu at Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, USA. She has been actively participating in and presenting her work at national conferences, workshops, and training programmes. She has also contributed to postgraduate teaching, particularly in practical courses related to Plant Developmental Biology. She is a life member of the Delhi University Botanical Society (DUBS). She joined Miranda House as a faculty in 2021 and has been teaching courses on reproductive biology, microbiology, biodiversity and basic laboratory skills.

M.Sc., MCA, Ph.D., PDF

Dr. Veena Beri graduated from S.G.T.B Khalsa College, University of Delhi, in 1999. She secured first position in the college. She did her M.Sc. Botany (2001) and subsequently Ph.D (2008) with specialization in “Survey for Inhibitors and Activators of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and Trypsin in Plant Extracts” from the Department of Botany, University of Delhi. She did her MCA in 2004. She is recipient of CSIR Junior Research Fellowship (2001-03) and Senior Research Fellowship (2003-06). She did her Post Doctorate (Enzyme Kinetics) from Department of Neurosciences, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA (2010-12) where she worked on  “Mechanistic Approach of AChE” and “New Inhibitors of AChE that Block Organophosphate Poisoning” funded by Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). She has been working as ad-hoc lecturer since 2007 and has worked at St. Stephen’s College, SACE, Maitreyi College, Gargi College and Dyal Singh College. She joined Miranda House in 2016 and has been teaching course of Analytical Techniques in Plant Sciences, Biofertilizer (GE) ,Cell Biology: Organelles and Biomolecules, Developmental Biology of Angiosperms, Ecology and Conservation, Ecology and Evolution,  Environmental Biotechnology and Management,  Green Belt Development for Smart Cities (SEC), Gymnosperms, Hydroponics and Aeroponic Farming (SEC), Informatics and Statistics for Biology and Allied Sciences (GE), Industrial and Environmental Microbiology (DSE), Mycology and Phytopathology, Organic Farming (SEC), Plant Cell and Developmental Biology, Plant Diversity and Evolution, Plant Diversity and Systematics, Plant Physiology and Metabolism, Science and Society (VAC), Swachh Bharat (VAC)  and has also been on local educational visits. She has been with D.S. Kothari Centre for Research and Innovation in Science Education, Miranda House, as a mentor for summer interns since 2023. Dr. Beri has been a Co-Project Investigator in the multidisciplinary research project entitled "To explore the phytoremediation potential of some hydrophytes with special focus on Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. (R&D-13/2024)" funded by Miranda House, 2024. She has been associated with INSPIRE internship  programmes (2017-19, 21, 23) and several other workshops (organized at the Miranda House) as a resource person. She has seven research publications in peer reviewed  journals of international repute. She received International Travel Grants from UGC and DBT to present her research work in several International conferences (9) held abroad for oral presentations (5) and poster presentations (3). She was also associated with reviewing the e-content for undergraduate level in Botany and allied subjects at Consortium for Educational Communications (CEC), IUAC Campus, New Delhi (2017-19).

Ms. Pragati graduated from Gargi College, University of Delhi, in 2017 with a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Botany and completed her M.Sc. in Botany from the Department of Botany, University of Delhi, in 2019. In 2020, she worked as a DBT-funded Junior Research Fellow under the project “Genome-wide Mapping of QTL Controlling Healthy Amylose Starch Variation in Wheat” at BRIC-NABI. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. from the Department of Botany, University of Delhi. During her doctoral research, she was awarded the CSIR Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and was subsequently promoted to Senior Research Fellowship (SRF). Her Ph.D. research focuses on the regulation of apomixis mediated by small RNAs, with an emphasis on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying plant reproductive development. She has contributed to five publications, including two research articles, one review paper, and two book chapters. She received the S. N. Chaturvedi Medal for her research work presented at the All India Botanical Conference of the Indian Botanical Society in 2025. She is a life member of the Delhi University Botanical Society. In September 2026, she joined the Department of Botany, Miranda House, University of Delhi.

B.Sc. (Hons.) Botany┃ M.Sc. Botany ┃ M.Phil Botany

Ms. Karuna Sharma is a researcher in Botany associated with the University of Delhi, with research interests spanning plant stress biology, plant-microbe interactions, plant metabolic regulation and sustainable plant biology. An alumna of Miranda House, she completed her B.Sc. (Hons.) Botany in 2017, graduating with College Rank 2 and University Rank 4, followed by M.Sc. Botany (2019) from Miranda House and M.Phil. Botany (2020) from the Department of Botany, University of Delhi, where she secured First Position. She has been pursuing her PhD in Botany at the University of Delhi since 2021.

A CSIR-UGC NET-JRF awardee (AIR 62), she pursued her Junior Research Fellowship and Senior Research Fellowship during PhD. Alongside her research, she has demonstrated a strong record of academic leadership and institutional engagement. Her association with the Delhi University Botanical Society (DUBS) spans nearly a decade, during which she served as Joint Secretary (2017-18), Secretary (2018-19), Vice-President (2020-21) and President (2023-24). She has subsequently remained actively engaged in the academic life of the University, contributing to the organization of the 65th-68th Annual Flower Shows of the University (2023-2026), several national workshops and faculty development programmes. Her academic recognitions include the Dr. (Mrs.) Sushma Aneja Memorial Award for Young Researchers (2025) for her research work presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Mycological Society of India and other merit-based distinctions along with Endowment Book grants.

Her research explores the molecular and metabolic plasticity underlying plant responses to environmental stress and beneficial plant-microbe associations, with particular emphasis on the mechanistic basis of stress adaptation and symbiotic regulation. Her work integrates plant physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology and metabolomics to examine complex plant-fungus interactions and their implications for plant resilience and sustainable agriculture. Ms. Sharma has an active scholarly record comprising 10 publications spanning 2021-2025, including research articles in internationally recognized journals and book chapters published by Taylor & Francis and Springer Nature. Her work has appeared in internationally recognized journals including Plant Science (IF: 4.1; Q1), Frontiers in Plant Science (IF: 5.9; Q1), World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology (IF: 4.7; Q2), Journal of Fungi (IF: 4.3; Q1), Journal of Future Foods (IF: 7.2; Q1) and Food Chemistry Advances (SJR: 1.055; Q1). Her publications have received 334 citations, with a Google Scholar h-index of 7 and i10-index of 6. She has presented her research at national and international scientific forums, and has contributed to scientific communication, academic outreach and institutional programmes through conference organization and professional academic engagement.

Dr. Shivangi Shah received her Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Delhi, focusing on enhancing omega-3 fatty acid production in microalgae. During her Ph.D., she was a fellow of DST-funded JRF, later promoted to SRF. She is a recipient of the prestigious INSPIRE Fellowship. She is a gold medalist from Kurukshetra University with an M.Sc. in Botany and has a distinguished academic record, including a B.Sc. in Botany from the University of Delhi and a B.Ed. She is skilled in algae culture and molecular biology and is active in academic societies and workshops. She is a lifetime member of the Delhi University Botanical Society and joined Miranda House in September 2022. Along with teaching, She has mentored undergraduate students during the summer internship program offered by DSKC in 2023 and 2024.

Dr.  Dharmendra Kumar, M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D., University of Delhi

UGC SRF, CSIR-UGC NET-JRF (2), GATE, ARS NET (2), DBT-IBSD JRF

Dr Dharmendra Kumar graduated with a B.Sc. Hons. in Botany from Deshbandhu College and later completed his M.Sc., M.Phil., and Ph.D. (2025) from the Department of Botany, University of Delhi. He also served as the vice president of the Delhi University Botanical Society (DUBS) from 2021 to 2023. He travelled extensively across Indian coastal regions and river ecosystems, including Rameswaram, Dhanushkodi, Kanyakumari, Pudumadam, Pamban, Chilika Lake, and Yamuna River, where he conducted field surveys for his research. Dr. Kumar has an extensive academic and research portfolio focusing on phycoremediation, environmental contamination, seaweed metabolomics, and algal studies, with notable contributions in prestigious journals. He has published more than 15 research papers in reputed international journals with high impact factors. He received the National Award for outstanding contributions to waste management at the National Conference on Restoring River Health: Yamuna as a Model System, organized by DUBS and the Indian Phycological Society in September 2025. He has organized and actively participated in various conferences, workshops, and training programs. He has presented award-winning posters and oral presentations at national and international conferences, including Best Poster Awards at the “National Conference on Blue Economy,” Feb 2023, KIIT Odisha; the “National Conference on Urban Waste Management and Sustainable Solutions,” Mar 3–4, 2025, Dept. of Botany, University of Delhi and the Best Oral Presentation Award at the “International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research & Practices", Dec 2023, Agra. He is a lifetime member of the Indian Phycological Society.

Publication:  2026

1. Kumar, D., Agrawal, S., Prajapati, M., Sahoo, S., & Sahoo, D. (2026). LC-MS/MS-Based Metabolite Profiling and Functional Assessment of Hydrodictyon reticulatum as a Potential Source of Natural Therapeutics Collected from the Yamuna River, India. Applied Food Research, 102062. IF – 6.2 (Q1)

2. Prajapati, M., Kumar, D., Agrawal, S., Kumar, D., Baweja, P., & Sahoo, D. (2026). Multifaceted bioactivity of brown seaweed-derived fucoidan from the Indian Coastline: A natural health product candidate. PLoS One, 21(4), e0346712. IF – 2.6 (Q1)

3. Vishavjeet, R., Ahlawat, Y.K., Singh, R., Bhardwaj, J.K., Ajaybeer, K., Kumar, S., Sharma, P., Choudhary, R., Nidhi, D., Kumar, D. and Shivankar, A., 2026. Microplastics and Health: A Review on Environmental Exposure, Toxicokinetics and Biological Effects. Sustainability, 18(7), p. 3527. IF – 3.6 

4. Kumar, D. et al. (2026). Analysis of Spirulina maxima grown in CFTRI and Zarrouk’s media: insights into nutraceutical enhancement. Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 18(1), 222 - 231. https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v18i1.7061

National awards 

1. National Award – Nature Care & Sustainability (2025), awarded at the National Conference on Restoring Health of Rivers and Water Bodies through People’s Participation (12 Dec 2025, Constitution Club, New Delhi), organized by Nature Care Initiative.

2. National Award for outstanding research contributions towards the conservation and restoration of the River Yamuna at the National Conference on Restoring River Health, jointly organized by Nature Care Initiative, Delhi University Botanical Society, and Indian Phycological Society (Sept 2025).

Dr Rashmi Kapoor Mehrotra graduated from Sri Venkateshwara College, University of Delhi in 2005. She subsequently completed her M.Sc. Botany (2007) and Ph.D. Botany (2014) from Jamia Hamdard University, with specialization in Plant Tissue Culture.

During her doctoral research, she worked extensively on establishing and optimizing tissue cultures of Allium sativum L. (garlic), with particular focus on impact of varying concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators on organogenesis, somatic embryogenesis and associated biochemical aspects. Her research also explored the impact of selenium treatment, gamma irradiation as well as salinity stress on in vitro cultures of garlic. The impact of abiotic stress on production of bioactive compound (alliin) assessed using HPTLC indicated development of garlic varieties with higher medicinal and nutritive attributes. Additionally, during her Ph.D., she also contributed to the research on antidiabetic potential of garlic leaf extract on alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Dr Rashmi has nine peer-reviewed research papers in reputed international journals with high impact factors to her credit. She also holds a B.Ed. (2008) degree from G.G.S. Indraprastha University. During her doctoral tenure, she mentored three M.Sc. research trainees, guiding them in their dissertation work on garlic tissue culture. She joined Miranda House in August’ 2025.