Institute's Information under RTI Act 2005


Central Public Information Officer :
Pavan Singh Katiyar (wef. 15.07.2019)
Technical Officer - D
Transparency Officer :
Dr. Anupam Sharma, Scientist - G
Appellate Authority :
Dr. (Mrs.) Binita Phartiyal
Scientist - F


(i) Name and address of the Organization

Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, 53 University Road, Lucknow - 226007

(ii) Head of the organization

Director

(iii) Vision, Mission and Key objectives

Professor Birbal Sahni, FRS, established the Institute in the year 1946 to explore and develop palaeobotany as a science in itself, visualizing its potential in solving issues of origin and evolution of plant life, other geological issues including exploration of fossil fuels. Originally plant fossil and related studies based, the mandate of the BSIP was recently expanded to combine it with other areas of palaeosciences, and creating modern facilities to achieve this end.
The newly widened mandate aims to look at

  • Understanding origin and evolution of life through time
  • Understanding climate change in recent and deep geological times
  • Understanding past civilization and human history
  • Application of palaeosciences to exploration programmes of oil and coal industry

(iv) Function and duties

BSIP is striving to attain excellence in R&D through a dedicated scientific team together with integrated innovative ideas in basic and applied research. In its broadest sense, the BSIP seeks to interpret plant life evolution and geological processes involved, and environmental evolution through time. Initially, the BSIP laid emphasis on more fundamental aspects of Indian fossil floras, but diversified in due course include biostratigraphic dating, correlation of surface and subsurface sediments, and exploring areas favourable for fossil fuel deposits. The main research work involves the understanding of plant evolution through geological time. Emphasis has been made to derive knowledge about the diversification of Precambrian life, diversity, distribution and inter-basinal correlation of Gondwana and Tertiary floras, coal/lignite quality and to understand the interaction between the climate and change of vegetation in Quaternary Period.
The palaeofloristic scenarios of the bygone eras help us to figure out the past climatic and environmental changes. However, it is important to tag these climate change events to a time scale, of which study of tree-rings to deduce palaeomonsoon/climate is an important aspect. Dating and study of samples of archaeobotanical as well as studies on ancient DNA are critical to understand the (co-)evolution of culture and civilization. Work on organic petrology to evaluate the quality of lignites/coals for their economic utilization, besides depositional conditions are well under way. Samples for all studies towards fulfilling the BSIP mandate are collected from far and wide, including the polar (Arctic/ Antarctic) region

(v) Organization Chart

Organization Chart View PDF

(vi) Any other details-the genesis, inception, formation of the department and the HoDs from time to time as well as the committees/ Commissions constituted from time to time have been dealt

The director use his/her power and form various committees such as Research Development and coordination, Works and Building, Store and Purchase, Museum, Knowledge resource centre etc ensure smooth functioning of the institute. Similarly, Senior scients are made in-charge of different projects/facilities and this help in taking decisions on scientific issues.