P.G. Department of Botany, Khalsa College Amritsar organised a Seminar on the topic: Challenges and Opportunities in Medicinal Plants Sector in India on 30 August 2019.

The P.G. Department of Botany, Khalsa College Amritsar organized a one day seminar on "Challenges and Opportunities in Medicinal Plants Sector in India". Dr. Arun Chandan, Regional Director, Research Institute of Indian Systems of Medicine, Joginder Nagar (HP), delivered a lecture on the topic. Dr. Mehal Singh, Principal, Khalsa College Amritsar welcomed Dr. Arun Chandan and highlighted the importance of medicinal plants in everyday life. Dr. Arun Chandan told that over the past few years, the medicine plants have regained a wide recognition due to an escalating faith in herbal medicine in view of its lesser side effects compare to allopathic medicine in addition the necessity of meeting the requirements of medicine for an increasing human population. He told that fssai gave licence to 500 Indian medicinal plants as safe food supplements which resulted in an increase of 10 lakh square meter area for medicinal plants. The students after completing their masters programme can make their carrier in the field of medicinal plants where they can work on plant populations of different agroclimatic zones to take an estimate of total harvesting of medicinal plants in order to conserve the plant diversity. He gave examples of many herbal formulations used against various ailments. The demand for medicinal plants is growing exponentially which could open vistas for students to create Standard Operative Protocols (SOPs), to learn safe cultivation and harvesting practices to increase the market value and export quality. He also encouraged the students to bring the published knowledge and technology for public use. Prof. Kirandeep Kaur Hundal, Head P.G. Department of Botany thanked the speaker and encouraged the student to work on medicinal plants and make their carrier in respective field.  Dr. Harjinder Singh, Dr. Madhu, Dr. Rajbir Singh, Dr. Prabhjit Kaur, Dr. Harpreet Kaur, Prof. Arpna Kumari, Prof. Manmeet Kaur, Prof. Sandeep Kaur, Prof. Ramandeep Kaur and Prof. Navjot Kaur were present during the seminar.