City scientist wins prestigious award

Dr Vinaya Ghate has been conferred with the Dr Janaki Ammal International Award by the International society of Ethno-Botany By Barnalee Handique @barnalee Senior scientist and researcher Dr Vinaya Ghate has been conferred with the Dr Janaki Ammal International Award by the International society of Ethno-Botany. A pioneer in ethno-botanical studies in Maharashtra and the former head of Botany Department of Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Dr Ghate has been associated with this field for 35 years. She has specialised in taxonomy, ethno-botany and bio-diversity conservation and has also worked in distribution, diversity and germ plasm studies in endemic and medicinal plants. A recipient of the Dr Ekbote Prize and Dr VD Vartak Vanamitra award among others, Dr. Ghate has many firsts to her credit and her research work has been lauded nationally and internationally. She has written over 70 research papers and authored a number of books in Marathi regarding popularisation of science. Among the research conducted by Ghate, the classification of flora into its genetic and chemical compositions, found in rural Maharashtra has been recognised. “My botany teachers in high school and college always encouraged and inspired me to take up this particular subject seriously. That’s how my interest for Botany developed. After completing my graduation from SP College, I got an opportunity to assist Dr. VD Vartak in various projects at the Agharkar Research Institute as a lab assistant in 1975,” she said. It was under Dr Vartak that Dr. Ghate began to explore the subject and began visiting places. Later, in 1980, the Ethno-Botany Society of India was founded, that carried out dedicated studies in understanding the relation between tribals and the surrounding flora in rural areas. While she was working there, she completed her MSC in Botany from Pune University. Over the years, she became totally immersed in her projects and Dr Ghate decided to pursue her post-doctoral degree in floristic. Her doctoral thesis was based on, ‘The flora of north-western ghats in relation to social forestry’. After retiring from Agharkar Research Institute in 2011, Dr Ghate joined Nisargsevak, an NGO that works for the conservation of nature. She and her team have been trying to protect the sacred groves in the state from destruction. “Our efforts at Nisargasevak are to create awareness among general public regarding the conservation of forests. We are also focusing on the Western Ghats and hold open workshops for students, teachers of Botany and others,” she said.