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BIRBAL SAHNI - A LIFE SKETCH :
BIRBAL SAHNI
Through the span of a century, men have arisen now and again who, by their ability, their dint of application and inspiration, have sifted facts of science amidst a maze of confusing evidence, and who have thus left an indelible impression upon the sands of time. Such men have not merely unveiled scientific truths, not only contributed their iota to the sum total of scientific knowledge, but have also added dignity and luster to the science they have pursued. Birbal Sahni was one among such men. To his brother Dr. M. R. Sahni, and one who learnt the first principles of Science from him when scarcely of school-going age, his passing away has meant a break, a snapped link with the memories of a cherished past. If this fraternal tribute goes beyond the pale of ordinary biographical sketches, it is to share wish his numerous friends certain aspects of his life which even those who were most intimately associated with him could scarcely know of.
PARENTAL BACKGROUND
Birbal Sahni was the third child of his parents, the late Professor Ruchi Ram Sahni and Shrimati Ishwar Devi. He was born on the 14th of November, 1891, at Bhera, a small town in the Shahpur District, now a part of the West Punjab, and once a flourishing center of trade, which had the distinction of an invasion by the iconoclast, Mahmud of Ghazni. The immediate interest that centers round Bhera is enhanced by the fact that this little town is situated not far form the Salt Range which may be described as veritable "Museum of Geology". Excursions to these barren ranges, where lie unmasked some of the most interesting episodes and landmarks of Indian geology, were often co-ordinated with visits to Bhera during his childhood, particularly to Khewra. Here occur certain plant bearing formations concerning the geological age of which Birbal Sahni made important contributions in later years.
Although Bhera become his ancestral home, his parents were at one time settled much farther afield, in fact at the riverine port of Dehra Ismail Khan on the Indus, and later migrated to Lahore.
It is learnt from his autobiography that father, still at school, was obliged to leave Dehra Islamil Khan owing to reverses of fortune and the death of his grandfather who was a leading citizen of the town. With the change of fortune, life became different and difficult. Undeterred, his father walked with a bundle of books on his back all the way from Dehra Islmail Khan to Jhang, a distance of over 150 miles, to join school. Later at Bhera and at Lahore, he distinguished himself as a scholar. He educated himself entirely on scholarships that he won. He was thus brought up in a hard school of life, and was entirely a self-made man. His father was a person of liberal views, and during his career he became one of the leaders of the Brahmo Samaj movement in the Punjab, a progressive religious and social upsurge which had then freshly taken root. Undoubtedly his father imbibed these ideas during his sojourn in Calcutta in his early days. He gave practical effect to his views by breaking away completely from caste. And when the call came, father, then a man of advanced years, stood knee-deep in the sacred mud of the tank of the Golden Temple and removed basket loads of it upon his frail shoulders to assist in clearing the accumulated silt. His religion knew no boundaries. Always patriot, he threw himself heart and soul into the struggle of independence and even tasted the severity of the bureaucratic baton at the Guru ka Bagh. He fought valiantly for the rights of his country men, and was more than once on the verge of arrest. About 1922, when he returned the insignia of the title conferred upon him by the then government, he was threatened with the termination of his pension, but his only answer was that he had thought out and foreseen all possible consequences of his action. He retained his pension!
It was inevitable that these events left their impression upon the family and were also imbibed by the family members. Therefore, if Birbal Sahni became a staunch supporter of the Congress movement, it was due in no small measure to father's living example. To this may be added the inspiration he derived, even if on rare occasions, form the presence of political figures like Motilal Nehru, Gokhale, Srinivasa Shastri, Sarojini Naidu, Madan Mohan Malaviya and others who were guests at their Lahore house, situated near the Bradlaugh Hall which was then the hub of political activity in the Punjab.
His mother was a pious lady of more conservative views, whose one aim in life was to see that the children received the best possible education. Hers was a brave sacrifice, and together they managed to send five sons to British and European universities. Nor was the education of the daughters neglected in spite of opposition form orthodox relations, and her elder sister was one of the first women to graduate from the Punjab University.
Such then was the family and parental background which influenced Birbal Sahni throughout life. In later years he prided in calling himself a "chip of the old block" which he was in every sense of the term. It can be truly said that he inherited from father his intense patriotism, his love of science and outdoor life and the sterling qualities which made him stand unswervingly in the cause of the country, while he imbibed his generosity and his deep attachment from his unassuming and self-sacrificing mother.
EDUCATIONAL CAREER-ADMISSION TO CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY
Birbal Sahni received his entire education in India at Lahore, first at the Mission an Central Model Schools and then at the Government College, where father held one of the chairs in chemistry. He gained many academic distinctions, standing first in Sanskrit at the Matriculation examination of the Punjab University and attaining a province position in Intermediate Science. His partiality for Sanskrit endured till the very end, and indeed, in later years he became much devoted to it.
He graduated in 1911 from Lahore and in the same year joined Emmanuel College, Cambridge, During those days Indian students obtained admission to Cambridge University through a representative of the Government who sometimes became also their "guardian". When his eldest brother Bikrama Jit took Birbal for admission, Mr. Arnold, who was then looking after the Indian students, said that this was impossible. Disappointed, the two brothers returned to their rooms. Later, however, they personally went to Cambridge and, taking a chance, called on the Master of Emmanuel College, Dr. Peter Giles, and exceedingly kind and sympathetic personality, who was still in-charge when his brother M. R. Sahni joined the same college in 1919. To their surprise, Birbal Sahni was admitted. But within a few days of his arrival his thoughts turned homewards. Life at home had centered mainly around his affectionate mother, and the children were deeply attached to her. Birbal began to miss keenly the family surroundings and associations. Within three days of his arrival at Cambridge, he was back in London, and when his elder brother, who was then studying medicine there, returned from college he was astonished to fine him in his room, looking quite disconsolate.
"I am feeling homesick", Said Birbal Sahni, almost on the verge of tears. His elder brother was in a predicament and he tells the at it was no easy task to console him and to make him understand the full implication of his action. He spent that night in London with his brother. It was with much difficulty that his brother was able to persuade him to return to Cambridge. After that Birbal took to Cambridge and his work there so much that he spent the best part of nine years at the Botany School. There is no doubt that the affectionate attitude of his tutor, Dr. Alexander Wood, with a sense of deep respect and devotion, was in no small measure responsible for this. Cambridge has many great traditions but one of the greatest is the close personal contacts one has there with one's tutors.
Birbal graduated from Cambridge in 1914, and soon settled down to research. Indeed, he had already commenced to take keen interest in research under the inspiring leadership and guidance of one of the most distinguished botanists of the day, Professor A. C. Seward. Professor and Mrs. Seward had a soft corner for him and always wrote to him in affectionate terms. It was a relationship deeper and more beautiful than between a teacher and his pupil and which, Birbal Sahni cherished more than many other things. Birbal Shani's interest and knowledge of Indian living plants was recognized early, for, yet a student at Cambridge, he was asked to revise Lowson's text-book of botany, now one of the widely used books on the subject in Indian schools and colleges.
For his researches on fossil plants he was awarded the D.Sc. degree of London University in 1919. Returning home in the same year he not only continued his investigations, but collected around him a group of devoted students, from all parts of the country, raising high the status of Palaeobotany in India. Early during his career in India, Birbal Sahni was paid a great compliment by Professor Seward when the latter declined to undertake the study of certain fossil collections form India saying that the first right lay with his young pupil. The material ultimately came to Birbal Sahni. This paved the way for his future field of research, and thus commenced a long and enduring association with Geological Survey of India. Times have been numerous when Birbal Sahni has gratefully acknowledged this fine gesture on the part of his teacher whom he esteemed and loved beyond measure. And the Geological Survey of India have commemorated him by erecting bust in his honour. In addition to the numerous palaeobotanical researches that he published, he made important contributions to the problems connected with the age of the Saline Series of the Punjab Salt Range and the age of the Deccan Traps. Even though the controversies relating to these problems are not yet at rest.
In later years the bent for mischief took a turn for playfulness. Many will remember his favourite toy monkey which toured with him over many continents and with which he often used to amuse children. This monkey was bought in Munich from a pavement vendor. Birbal Sahni had seen some children playing with a similar monkey and was himself much amused at it. After ransacking many shops he was able to purchase an exact replica and often went to the garden where he had erstwhile seen the children at play to 'perform' during the lunch interval to the great pleasure of the little ones.
Birbal Sahni was of a rather sensitive nature. He formed deep attachments from his early days, which may be illustrated by an incident during his college career. The occasion when the results of the Intermediate examination, at which one of his close and inseparable friends had appeared, were announced. By an inexplicable stroke of misfortune his class fellow was declared unsuccessful. This created not only a storm in the house, but almost spelt tragedy, because for at least two days Birbal Sahni wept like a child and refused to eat. For a number of days his movements caused us anxiety, and it was only very gradually that he reconciled himself to the idea that a friend of his was left one year behind him at college.
Many traits of his early manhood days, but the most outstanding was his desire for equity and fair-play. Partly by virtue of being the eldest brother at Lahore (the eldest was then in England) and partly because of his affectionate temperament, the younger brothers and sisters recognized him as an impartial arbitrator in the family. Whether it was a dispute about the ownership of a pencil or a book, or as to who should last switch off the light in the cold winter nights, all looked to him for a decision, and what is more important, everybody abided by it.
TRAVERSES IN THE HIMALAYAS
Although he worked hard as a student and, indeed, throughout life, this was not particularly for a achieving university honours. He invariably struck the more difficult and, what might appear to many, the less profitable path so far as immediate results were concerned. Even as a student he made one of the biggest collections of Himalayan plants at considerable sacrifice of his routine studies and examination work. He made numerous excursions to the Himalayas during which Hooker's Flora of British India was his invariable companion. He devoted a great deal of time, irrespective of other work, to the investigation of these plants, some of which, now form a part of the Kew Herbarium. Between 1907 and 1911, his brother accompanied him on most of these Himalayan excursions and the thrill they experienced when a plant new to the collection, an orchid or a rare species of epiphyte was discovered, and Birbal Sahni climbed sometimes at some risk, or helped him with a perch, to capture it. This passion for outdoor life and trekking was acquired early from father who, himself an inveterate walker, carried out traverses on foot across the Himalayas, and invariably took us with him. Among the many traverses that he made from Pathankot to Rohtang Pass; Kalka to Chini (Hindustan-Tibet road) via Kasauli, Subathu, Simla, Narkanda, Rampur Bushahr, Kilba, taking the Buran Pass (16,800 ft. high) in the stride. Other traverses were from Srinagar to Dras, across the Zoji la Pass; Srinagar to Amarnath (height 14,000 ft. with another climb of about 16,000 ft. en route); Simla to Rohtang (12,000 ft.) via the Bishlao Pass and thence back to Pathankot. He trekked across the length and width of Kashmir, collecting plants.
On his return from Europe, Birbal made long traverses independently, the most important of which was from Pathankot to Leh in Ladakh in 1920. The route followed during this traverse, carried out in the company of the late Professor S. R. Kashyap, himself a keen botanist, was Pathankot-Khajiar-Chamba-Leh and thence back via the Zoji la Pass-Baltal-Amarnath-Pahalgam and finally Jammu. This tour lasted over several weeks and resulted in a rich collection of Himalayan plants.
Between 1923 and 1944 he made a number of other traverses in the Himalayas, accompanied at times by his wife. Of these, the one undertaken in 1925 between Srinagar, Uri, Poonch, Chor Panjal, Pal Gagrian and thence to Gulmarg is worth mentioning. During the course of this trek they were marooned on the snow at Chor Panjal and arrived at Gulmarg after much hardship. In 1944 he repeated the traverse of 1923, then left unfinished owing to unavoidable circumstances. This time he was also accompanied by Professor Jen Hsu and another colleague from the University, Dr R. D. Misra. Their route lay between Gujarat, Bhimbar, Nowshera, Rajauri, Thanamandi, Poonch, Aliabad, Uri and finally Srinagar.
It was these treks through the Himalayas which gave him that expansive horizon, breaking through the bounds of insularity, and which enabled him to view palaeobotanical and geological problems in their widest perspective, so essential to their correct understanding. It was these a accumulated experiences and his geological background, indispensable for palaeobotanists, which he brought to bear upon his views on the origins and distribution of fossil floras, and upon the geographic orientation of ancient continents and seas. It was these treks through the Himalayas which gave him that expansive horizon, breaking through the bounds of insularity, and which enabled him to view palaeobotanical and geological problems in their widest perspective, so essential to their correct understanding. It was these a accumulated experiences and his geological background, indispensable for palaeobotanists, which he brought to bear upon his views on the origins and distribution of fossil floras, and upon the geographic orientation of ancient continents and seas.
WIDE SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS
Birbal Sahni's interests were wide-Lamarckian in scope. To this his discovery of the coin moulds at Rohtak in March, 1936 bears witness. This archaeological discovery by a palaeobotanist, with the stroke of a geologist's hammer, symbolizes the vitality and versatility of the man. It is a tribute to his genius that not only did he make this unique discovery, but also threw himself heart and soul into the study of these coin moulds. He published his results in a masterly monograph in the journal of the Numismatic Society in 1945, setting according to numismatist, a new standard of research in the subject. For this purpose he set himself to the study of some of the Indian coin moulds as well as those from China. He took keen interest in all geological problems, even those that had no direct bearing upon his palaeobotanical work. But it must be said that, if one scratched him deep enough, one always found a botanist in the core. Apart from his scientific interests, he was much inclined towards music and he could play on the sitar and the violin. He was also interested in drawing and clay-modeling and he utilized opportunities, whenever he was free from his other work, to visit the Arts School, Lucknow, for further acquaintance with these arts.
INDEPENDENT OUTLOOK
There was another aspect of Birbal Sahni's attitude towards life which comes forcibly to mind and which shows his independent outlook and his love for the science to which he remained devoted throughout life, and in which he was subsequently to make a name for himself and for his country. Father was one of those disciplinarians from whom a mere suggestion was usually enough to settle where the decision lay. He and his friends had sometimes discussed what career the sons were to follow. In the summer of 1911 came Birbal Sahni's turn to proceed to England for higher studies. Father had planned the Indian Civil Service as a career for him, not because he wanted his son to add another rod to the "steel frame" (far from it), but for reasons which he need not dilate upon, though they were quite in conformity with his political attitude. In short, Birbal Sahni was asked to prepare for his departure. There could not be much argument about it, but his answer: that if it was an order, he would go, but that if his own inclinations in the matter were to be considered, he would take up a research career in Botany, and nothing else. Though this astonished father for a while, yet he consented, for in spite of his strong disciplinarian attitude, he gave him perfect freedom of choice in essential matters. Thus it was that he took up a career as a botanist. In this case, perhaps, his father's acquiescence was not so difficult, as he had been himself always keen on research and, indeed, after years of service as a Professor of Chemistry, he went to Manchester where he carried out investigations on radio-activity with Professor Ernest Rutherford, results of which were subsequently published. Indeed, Birbal Sahni helped him there in photographic and other incidental work during the vacations, though he had himself to take the Natural Science Tripos, Part 11, in the same year. It scarcely needs repetition that father's example gave the incentive and inspiration for research to all those around him, and not only that; he inculcated a spirit of fearlessness, shedding the lustre of freedom around himself which played its own part in the independence movement.
Although Birbal gained many academic distinctions, he did not, particularly seek them. He invariably had an independent outlook where such matters were concerned, irrespective of consequences. Once again it may be illustrated his way of thinking by an incident during his B.Sc. examination of the Punjab University. Sitting down to the Botany examination he found that the question paper set was an exact, or almost exact, replica of the paper set at a previous examination. He thought that such a question paper might give undue advantage to some and an undue handicap to others, and that, in any case, it could not be a fair test of knowledge. He got up, and handing the (bank) answer sheets to the invigilator against all persuasion, walked out of the hall in protest. When he came home within less than half an hour of the commencement of the examination and met father at the doorstep, it was a worthy sight! The surprised parent could not decide whether to show anger or laugh at the situation, such as even he as a Professor of long standing had never been faced with-a situation comic enough, but, nevertheless, potentially fraught with serious consequences, for the University was in no way bound to set a fresh paper to please the impetuosity of a young student. nevertheless, potentially fraught with serious consequences, for the University was in no way bound to set a fresh paper to please the impetuosity of a young student. The matter went upto the University Syndicate. Birbal Sahni won the day, for it was decided that no examiner could be so easy going or disinterested as to pick up an earlier paper and inflict it upon the students, almost in toto. A fresh paper was set for him. This shows how well he held the courage of his convictions, where even an older man might have been afraid to lose a year so unnecessarily, being well able to answer the questions set.
MARRIAGE
Companion to him throughout life. Even now, with the burden of a deep sorrow in her heart, she looks after the priceless legacy, which her husband has left to the nation-the Institute of Palaeobotany at Lucknow. She was constantly with him whether at home or abroad, and they both had many unique opportunities of visiting foreign universities and institutions and of meeting the leading scientists of the day. The last of such visits was to the U.S.A. and Europe. With his own artistic bent of mind he planned and built a beautiful home on the banks of the Gomti, where friends from all parts of the world were frequent visitors and where he lived the best part of his busy and unostentatious.
RELIGIOUS VIEWS
Birbal Sahni rarely discussed religion with anybody. He was religiously inclined but not in the dogmatic sense of the term. He expressed his taith in his lasting friendships, his generosity (for those whom he helped are many and, above all, by his care and forethought in the small matters of life, irrespective of individual status. There is one little incident. It was when he was on one of his Himalayan traverses with his father, on the Hindustan- Tibet Road, proceeding towards Chini. The road from Narkanda to Baghi lay through a thick forest infested with bears and other wild animals as, indeed, the name Baghi suggests from bagh, a leopard. They had started late for their next camp. Reaching the edge of the forest when darkness was already falling fast, they realized that one of their porters had not reached. Nor was he likely to reach soon. Birbal Sahni taking the khad-stick from his father, soon disappeared alone into the jungle, and though quite late, safely brought back the porter who had had an attack of malaria. There was nothing too small, nor anybody too insignificant for him to take an interest in, or help.
LENGTHENING SHADOWS
Birbal Sahni was always a dreamer and a visionary. Soon after his return from Cambridge and while his brother was yet a student there, he wrote to him that he had plans to explore the trans-Himalayan regions and even the unknown islands of the Pacific. It became, of course, impossible for him to give tangible shape to all these ambitions, for he was always steeped in his work. Quite early too the idea of founding the Institute of Palaeobotany took shape in his mind. Towards this end he worked incessantly, enriching his collections of fossil plants by field work and exchange and by building up the finest library for palaeobotanical work in India. The Institute was founded on the 10th September, 1946. The Foundation-Stone of its new building was laid on the 3rd April, 1949 in the presence of a galaxy of scientists and men of letters, by the nation's pride and idol, Jawaharlal Nehru, himself a student of science and a near contemporary of Birbal Sahni at Cambridge. Such, however, was the cruel irony of fate, that on the midnight of 9th-10th April, within less than a week of this ceremony, ere this tender sapling had even taken root, the gardener was snatched away, and laid to rest in the infinitude of eternity. And such was the affection and high esteem in which he was held that he was laid to rest within the precincts of the Institute itself, a homage unique and unparalleled in the history of perhaps any town in India to a scientist. It seems, looking in retrospect at the rapidity with which happy and tragic events followed each other, as if Birbal Sahni had been pre-ordained only to fulfill a mission-and depart. To those who knew him and loved him, this cruel and untimely blow meant not merely the passing away of a great scientist, a philanthropist and a patriot, but the end of a beautiful and unbounded friendship. The unscrutable plan of the Architect is, however, different to ours. The beginning and the end are, after all, mere human conceptions, one likes to think. For who can probe into their eternal mysteries and unmask their hidden secrets-
Who knows the Final End, and who the Morning Glow?
The darkest depths of night, unfold the brightest day;
The ripened acorn tumbles, always but to grow;
Were Life and Death not moulded, in one, common, clay?
(Based on "Birbal Sahni: a biographical sketch of his personal life" by M. R. Sahni, 1963).
BIRBAL SAHNI INSTITUTE OF PALAEOBOTANY -THE VISION THAT CAME TRUE
The foremost desire of Professor Birbal Sahni, the eminent botanist, was to put palaeobotanical research in India on an organized basis. As early as 1929, he decided to establish a museum of fossil plants. Due to lack of response from the then government to grant funds for this venture, committed as he was, he resolved to see his cherished dream through by financing it from his own, as well as from other private resources.
In September 1939, Professor Sahni convened a Committee of Indian palaeobotanists to co-ordinate palaeobotanical research in India and also to publish periodic reports on the progress of Indian palaeobotany. To impart a formal status to the committee, The Palaeobotanical Society was founded on May 19, 1946 and registered as a trust on June 3, 1946.
The object of The Society was to promote original research in fossil botany on an all-India basis, and its application to problems of economic geology. At Professor Sahni's behest, the Governing Body of The Society resolved on September 10, 1946 to establish an Institute of Palaeobotany. The Institute started functioning at the Botany Department of Lucknow University with Professor Sahni as the Honorary Director.
Rich collections of plant fossils and literature donated by Professor Sahni, and a small amount of private funds, mainly contributed by the Sahni's and the Burmah Oil Company were the only initial assests of the Institute. In September 1948, the Government of United Provinces gifted to the Institute a building next to the Lucknow University, and the Institute moved there. As Professor Sahni envisaged the development of palaeobotany in all its aspects, a comprehensive plan was prepared for the construction of a new building for which the Government of India sanctioned required funds.
The Foundation Stone for the new building of the Institute was laid by Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India, On April 3, 1949. In his speech requesting Mr. Nehru to lay the Foundation Stone, Professor Sahni said, "The stone, which it will be my privilege now to ask you, Sir, to lay, is a some what unusual sort of monument. There if stands in front of you. It has been purposely made in this laboratory from an assortment of rocks and fossils from may different countries, and from many geological formations". He further said, "It is our hope that in this stone a link will have been forged in the chain of international goodwill and cultural co-operation. By laying this foundation-stone you will, therefore, be helping us to achieve for this young institute a hopeful future of a broad and truly international look which is one of our main objectives".
Unfortunately, Birbal Sahni did not live to see his cherished dream fulfilled. He passed away on April 10, 1949. To cope with the emergent situation, the Governing Body of The Palaeobotanical Society authorized Mrs. Savitri Sahni to discharge all the duties of the Director of the Institute in addition to those as President of The Society. In October 1949, the Governing Body of The Palaeobotanical Society renamed the Institute as Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany as a tribute to the guiding beacon.
Shouldering the onerous responsibility Mrs. Savitri Sahni rose to the occasion. Her untiring efforts and zeal led to the completion of the new building by the end of 1952. The building was dedicated to Science by Shri Jawaharlal Nehru on January 2, 1953 amidst a galaxy of scientists from India and abroad. Professor Tom M. Harris of the Reading University, England, served the Institute as an advisor form December 1949 to January 1950. Dr. R. V. Sitholey was appointed as Officer-in-Charge to carry out the duties of the Director. Professor Ove Arbo Hoeg of the Oslo University, Norway then served as Director of the Institute from October 1951 to August, 1953 on an Unesco assignment. After his departure, Dr K. R. Surange took over as Officer-in-charge, to be appointed in October 1959 as Director-in-charge of academic and research activities, the administrative powers remained vested with Mrs Savitri Sahni till 1968. Dr M. N. Bose succeeded him in May 1980. After superannuation of Dr Bose in March 1985, Dr S. C. D. Sah temporarily held charge as the Director till June 1985 Dr B. S. Venkatachala took over as Director.
It was realized that the Birbal Sahni Institue should function independently of The Palaeobotanical Society. The Society therefore reconstituted itself as a purely professional scientific body and transferred the possession of the Institute to the newly constituted Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany Society in November 1969, under the new setup the Institute functions as an autonomous research organization financed by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Professor T. S. Sadasivan of the Madras University, the first Chariman of the Governing Body of the Institute under the new setup held office till January 1978 and was succeeded by Professor T. S. Mahabale of Poona University, Professor A. K. Sharma of Calcutta, Professor H. Y. Mohan Ram of Delhi University took office in September 1987.
The main objectives of the Institute are:
. To develop palaeobotany, including palaeopalynology, in all its botanical and geological aspects;
. To constantly update the data for interaction with allied disciplines;
. To co-ordinate with other knowledge centers in areas of mutual interest, such as Early Life, Exploration of Fossil Fuels, Vegetation Dynamics, Climatic Modelling, Conservation of Forests, etc; and
. Dissemination of palaeobotanical knowledge.
During the early phase the research activities of the Institute laid emphasis on composition of the Indian fossil floras, the form and structure of different taxa, and their distribution in time and space. Gradually, the research activities diversified to encompass palynological and petrological studies for building past history of vegetation and also to understand the genesis and palaeecology of coal basins. Attention was also paid to phylogeny and evolution. Biostratigraphic dating of sediments, correlation of surface and subsurface sections and location of favourable areas for oil Prospecting assumed added importance. Ultrastructural structural studies for morphotazonomy have recently been introduced with the availability of a Scanning Electron Microscope. Investigations of Biodiagenesis have been given due importance to understand factors responsible for the degradation of dispersed organic matter. An MPV -3 microscope facility has been added for this study. Keeping in view the importance of absolute dating of palaeobotanical and archaeological samples, the Institute established a Carbon (14C) Dating Laboratory in January 1973. During the years the laboratory has attained the status of a full-fledged Radiometric Dating Department. Fission-Track dating method has been perfected; the Postassium-Argon (K-Ar) dating facility is expected to become operational soon. In order to attain wider interaction between the scientists at the Institute as well as to increase inter-institutional collaboration, increasingly more emphasis is laid on multidisciplinary approaches since 1986. It has also been made a guide line for future planning. The application of this concept has substantially increased precision and accuracy of results.
Through the span of a century, men have arisen now and again who, by their ability, their dint of application and inspiration, have sifted facts of science amidst a maze of confusing evidence, and who have thus left an indelible impression upon the sands of time. Such men have not merely unveiled scientific truths, not only contributed their iota to the sum total of scientific knowledge, but have also added dignity and luster to the science they have pursued. Birbal Sahni was one among such men. To his brother Dr. M. R. Sahni, and one who learnt the first principles of Science from him when scarcely of school-going age, his passing away has meant a break, a snapped link with the memories of a cherished past. If this fraternal tribute goes beyond the pale of ordinary biographical sketches, it is to share wish his numerous friends certain aspects of his life which even those who were most intimately associated with him could scarcely know of.
PARENTAL BACKGROUND
Birbal Sahni was the third child of his parents, the late Professor Ruchi Ram Sahni and Shrimati Ishwar Devi. He was born on the 14th of November, 1891, at Bhera, a small town in the Shahpur District, now a part of the West Punjab, and once a flourishing center of trade, which had the distinction of an invasion by the iconoclast, Mahmud of Ghazni. The immediate interest that centers round Bhera is enhanced by the fact that this little town is situated not far form the Salt Range which may be described as veritable "Museum of Geology". Excursions to these barren ranges, where lie unmasked some of the most interesting episodes and landmarks of Indian geology, were often co-ordinated with visits to Bhera during his childhood, particularly to Khewra. Here occur certain plant bearing formations concerning the geological age of which Birbal Sahni made important contributions in later years.
Although Bhera become his ancestral home, his parents were at one time settled much farther afield, in fact at the riverine port of Dehra Ismail Khan on the Indus, and later migrated to Lahore.
It is learnt from his autobiography that father, still at school, was obliged to leave Dehra Islamil Khan owing to reverses of fortune and the death of his grandfather who was a leading citizen of the town. With the change of fortune, life became different and difficult. Undeterred, his father walked with a bundle of books on his back all the way from Dehra Islmail Khan to Jhang, a distance of over 150 miles, to join school. Later at Bhera and at Lahore, he distinguished himself as a scholar. He educated himself entirely on scholarships that he won. He was thus brought up in a hard school of life, and was entirely a self-made man. His father was a person of liberal views, and during his career he became one of the leaders of the Brahmo Samaj movement in the Punjab, a progressive religious and social upsurge which had then freshly taken root. Undoubtedly his father imbibed these ideas during his sojourn in Calcutta in his early days. He gave practical effect to his views by breaking away completely from caste. And when the call came, father, then a man of advanced years, stood knee-deep in the sacred mud of the tank of the Golden Temple and removed basket loads of it upon his frail shoulders to assist in clearing the accumulated silt. His religion knew no boundaries. Always patriot, he threw himself heart and soul into the struggle of independence and even tasted the severity of the bureaucratic baton at the Guru ka Bagh. He fought valiantly for the rights of his country men, and was more than once on the verge of arrest. About 1922, when he returned the insignia of the title conferred upon him by the then government, he was threatened with the termination of his pension, but his only answer was that he had thought out and foreseen all possible consequences of his action. He retained his pension!
It was inevitable that these events left their impression upon the family and were also imbibed by the family members. Therefore, if Birbal Sahni became a staunch supporter of the Congress movement, it was due in no small measure to father's living example. To this may be added the inspiration he derived, even if on rare occasions, form the presence of political figures like Motilal Nehru, Gokhale, Srinivasa Shastri, Sarojini Naidu, Madan Mohan Malaviya and others who were guests at their Lahore house, situated near the Bradlaugh Hall which was then the hub of political activity in the Punjab.
His mother was a pious lady of more conservative views, whose one aim in life was to see that the children received the best possible education. Hers was a brave sacrifice, and together they managed to send five sons to British and European universities. Nor was the education of the daughters neglected in spite of opposition form orthodox relations, and her elder sister was one of the first women to graduate from the Punjab University.
Such then was the family and parental background which influenced Birbal Sahni throughout life. In later years he prided in calling himself a "chip of the old block" which he was in every sense of the term. It can be truly said that he inherited from father his intense patriotism, his love of science and outdoor life and the sterling qualities which made him stand unswervingly in the cause of the country, while he imbibed his generosity and his deep attachment from his unassuming and self-sacrificing mother.
EDUCATIONAL CAREER-ADMISSION TO CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY
Birbal Sahni received his entire education in India at Lahore, first at the Mission an Central Model Schools and then at the Government College, where father held one of the chairs in chemistry. He gained many academic distinctions, standing first in Sanskrit at the Matriculation examination of the Punjab University and attaining a province position in Intermediate Science. His partiality for Sanskrit endured till the very end, and indeed, in later years he became much devoted to it.
He graduated in 1911 from Lahore and in the same year joined Emmanuel College, Cambridge, During those days Indian students obtained admission to Cambridge University through a representative of the Government who sometimes became also their "guardian". When his eldest brother Bikrama Jit took Birbal for admission, Mr. Arnold, who was then looking after the Indian students, said that this was impossible. Disappointed, the two brothers returned to their rooms. Later, however, they personally went to Cambridge and, taking a chance, called on the Master of Emmanuel College, Dr. Peter Giles, and exceedingly kind and sympathetic personality, who was still in-charge when his brother M. R. Sahni joined the same college in 1919. To their surprise, Birbal Sahni was admitted. But within a few days of his arrival his thoughts turned homewards. Life at home had centered mainly around his affectionate mother, and the children were deeply attached to her. Birbal began to miss keenly the family surroundings and associations. Within three days of his arrival at Cambridge, he was back in London, and when his elder brother, who was then studying medicine there, returned from college he was astonished to fine him in his room, looking quite disconsolate.
"I am feeling homesick", Said Birbal Sahni, almost on the verge of tears. His elder brother was in a predicament and he tells the at it was no easy task to console him and to make him understand the full implication of his action. He spent that night in London with his brother. It was with much difficulty that his brother was able to persuade him to return to Cambridge. After that Birbal took to Cambridge and his work there so much that he spent the best part of nine years at the Botany School. There is no doubt that the affectionate attitude of his tutor, Dr. Alexander Wood, with a sense of deep respect and devotion, was in no small measure responsible for this. Cambridge has many great traditions but one of the greatest is the close personal contacts one has there with one's tutors.
Birbal graduated from Cambridge in 1914, and soon settled down to research. Indeed, he had already commenced to take keen interest in research under the inspiring leadership and guidance of one of the most distinguished botanists of the day, Professor A. C. Seward. Professor and Mrs. Seward had a soft corner for him and always wrote to him in affectionate terms. It was a relationship deeper and more beautiful than between a teacher and his pupil and which, Birbal Sahni cherished more than many other things. Birbal Shani's interest and knowledge of Indian living plants was recognized early, for, yet a student at Cambridge, he was asked to revise Lowson's text-book of botany, now one of the widely used books on the subject in Indian schools and colleges.
For his researches on fossil plants he was awarded the D.Sc. degree of London University in 1919. Returning home in the same year he not only continued his investigations, but collected around him a group of devoted students, from all parts of the country, raising high the status of Palaeobotany in India. Early during his career in India, Birbal Sahni was paid a great compliment by Professor Seward when the latter declined to undertake the study of certain fossil collections form India saying that the first right lay with his young pupil. The material ultimately came to Birbal Sahni. This paved the way for his future field of research, and thus commenced a long and enduring association with Geological Survey of India. Times have been numerous when Birbal Sahni has gratefully acknowledged this fine gesture on the part of his teacher whom he esteemed and loved beyond measure. And the Geological Survey of India have commemorated him by erecting bust in his honour. In addition to the numerous palaeobotanical researches that he published, he made important contributions to the problems connected with the age of the Saline Series of the Punjab Salt Range and the age of the Deccan Traps. Even though the controversies relating to these problems are not yet at rest.
In later years the bent for mischief took a turn for playfulness. Many will remember his favourite toy monkey which toured with him over many continents and with which he often used to amuse children. This monkey was bought in Munich from a pavement vendor. Birbal Sahni had seen some children playing with a similar monkey and was himself much amused at it. After ransacking many shops he was able to purchase an exact replica and often went to the garden where he had erstwhile seen the children at play to 'perform' during the lunch interval to the great pleasure of the little ones.
Birbal Sahni was of a rather sensitive nature. He formed deep attachments from his early days, which may be illustrated by an incident during his college career. The occasion when the results of the Intermediate examination, at which one of his close and inseparable friends had appeared, were announced. By an inexplicable stroke of misfortune his class fellow was declared unsuccessful. This created not only a storm in the house, but almost spelt tragedy, because for at least two days Birbal Sahni wept like a child and refused to eat. For a number of days his movements caused us anxiety, and it was only very gradually that he reconciled himself to the idea that a friend of his was left one year behind him at college.
Many traits of his early manhood days, but the most outstanding was his desire for equity and fair-play. Partly by virtue of being the eldest brother at Lahore (the eldest was then in England) and partly because of his affectionate temperament, the younger brothers and sisters recognized him as an impartial arbitrator in the family. Whether it was a dispute about the ownership of a pencil or a book, or as to who should last switch off the light in the cold winter nights, all looked to him for a decision, and what is more important, everybody abided by it.
TRAVERSES IN THE HIMALAYAS
Although he worked hard as a student and, indeed, throughout life, this was not particularly for a achieving university honours. He invariably struck the more difficult and, what might appear to many, the less profitable path so far as immediate results were concerned. Even as a student he made one of the biggest collections of Himalayan plants at considerable sacrifice of his routine studies and examination work. He made numerous excursions to the Himalayas during which Hooker's Flora of British India was his invariable companion. He devoted a great deal of time, irrespective of other work, to the investigation of these plants, some of which, now form a part of the Kew Herbarium. Between 1907 and 1911, his brother accompanied him on most of these Himalayan excursions and the thrill they experienced when a plant new to the collection, an orchid or a rare species of epiphyte was discovered, and Birbal Sahni climbed sometimes at some risk, or helped him with a perch, to capture it. This passion for outdoor life and trekking was acquired early from father who, himself an inveterate walker, carried out traverses on foot across the Himalayas, and invariably took us with him. Among the many traverses that he made from Pathankot to Rohtang Pass; Kalka to Chini (Hindustan-Tibet road) via Kasauli, Subathu, Simla, Narkanda, Rampur Bushahr, Kilba, taking the Buran Pass (16,800 ft. high) in the stride. Other traverses were from Srinagar to Dras, across the Zoji la Pass; Srinagar to Amarnath (height 14,000 ft. with another climb of about 16,000 ft. en route); Simla to Rohtang (12,000 ft.) via the Bishlao Pass and thence back to Pathankot. He trekked across the length and width of Kashmir, collecting plants.
On his return from Europe, Birbal made long traverses independently, the most important of which was from Pathankot to Leh in Ladakh in 1920. The route followed during this traverse, carried out in the company of the late Professor S. R. Kashyap, himself a keen botanist, was Pathankot-Khajiar-Chamba-Leh and thence back via the Zoji la Pass-Baltal-Amarnath-Pahalgam and finally Jammu. This tour lasted over several weeks and resulted in a rich collection of Himalayan plants.
Between 1923 and 1944 he made a number of other traverses in the Himalayas, accompanied at times by his wife. Of these, the one undertaken in 1925 between Srinagar, Uri, Poonch, Chor Panjal, Pal Gagrian and thence to Gulmarg is worth mentioning. During the course of this trek they were marooned on the snow at Chor Panjal and arrived at Gulmarg after much hardship. In 1944 he repeated the traverse of 1923, then left unfinished owing to unavoidable circumstances. This time he was also accompanied by Professor Jen Hsu and another colleague from the University, Dr R. D. Misra. Their route lay between Gujarat, Bhimbar, Nowshera, Rajauri, Thanamandi, Poonch, Aliabad, Uri and finally Srinagar.
It was these treks through the Himalayas which gave him that expansive horizon, breaking through the bounds of insularity, and which enabled him to view palaeobotanical and geological problems in their widest perspective, so essential to their correct understanding. It was these a accumulated experiences and his geological background, indispensable for palaeobotanists, which he brought to bear upon his views on the origins and distribution of fossil floras, and upon the geographic orientation of ancient continents and seas. It was these treks through the Himalayas which gave him that expansive horizon, breaking through the bounds of insularity, and which enabled him to view palaeobotanical and geological problems in their widest perspective, so essential to their correct understanding. It was these a accumulated experiences and his geological background, indispensable for palaeobotanists, which he brought to bear upon his views on the origins and distribution of fossil floras, and upon the geographic orientation of ancient continents and seas.
WIDE SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS
Birbal Sahni's interests were wide-Lamarckian in scope. To this his discovery of the coin moulds at Rohtak in March, 1936 bears witness. This archaeological discovery by a palaeobotanist, with the stroke of a geologist's hammer, symbolizes the vitality and versatility of the man. It is a tribute to his genius that not only did he make this unique discovery, but also threw himself heart and soul into the study of these coin moulds. He published his results in a masterly monograph in the journal of the Numismatic Society in 1945, setting according to numismatist, a new standard of research in the subject. For this purpose he set himself to the study of some of the Indian coin moulds as well as those from China. He took keen interest in all geological problems, even those that had no direct bearing upon his palaeobotanical work. But it must be said that, if one scratched him deep enough, one always found a botanist in the core. Apart from his scientific interests, he was much inclined towards music and he could play on the sitar and the violin. He was also interested in drawing and clay-modeling and he utilized opportunities, whenever he was free from his other work, to visit the Arts School, Lucknow, for further acquaintance with these arts.
INDEPENDENT OUTLOOK
There was another aspect of Birbal Sahni's attitude towards life which comes forcibly to mind and which shows his independent outlook and his love for the science to which he remained devoted throughout life, and in which he was subsequently to make a name for himself and for his country. Father was one of those disciplinarians from whom a mere suggestion was usually enough to settle where the decision lay. He and his friends had sometimes discussed what career the sons were to follow. In the summer of 1911 came Birbal Sahni's turn to proceed to England for higher studies. Father had planned the Indian Civil Service as a career for him, not because he wanted his son to add another rod to the "steel frame" (far from it), but for reasons which he need not dilate upon, though they were quite in conformity with his political attitude. In short, Birbal Sahni was asked to prepare for his departure. There could not be much argument about it, but his answer: that if it was an order, he would go, but that if his own inclinations in the matter were to be considered, he would take up a research career in Botany, and nothing else. Though this astonished father for a while, yet he consented, for in spite of his strong disciplinarian attitude, he gave him perfect freedom of choice in essential matters. Thus it was that he took up a career as a botanist. In this case, perhaps, his father's acquiescence was not so difficult, as he had been himself always keen on research and, indeed, after years of service as a Professor of Chemistry, he went to Manchester where he carried out investigations on radio-activity with Professor Ernest Rutherford, results of which were subsequently published. Indeed, Birbal Sahni helped him there in photographic and other incidental work during the vacations, though he had himself to take the Natural Science Tripos, Part 11, in the same year. It scarcely needs repetition that father's example gave the incentive and inspiration for research to all those around him, and not only that; he inculcated a spirit of fearlessness, shedding the lustre of freedom around himself which played its own part in the independence movement.
Although Birbal gained many academic distinctions, he did not, particularly seek them. He invariably had an independent outlook where such matters were concerned, irrespective of consequences. Once again it may be illustrated his way of thinking by an incident during his B.Sc. examination of the Punjab University. Sitting down to the Botany examination he found that the question paper set was an exact, or almost exact, replica of the paper set at a previous examination. He thought that such a question paper might give undue advantage to some and an undue handicap to others, and that, in any case, it could not be a fair test of knowledge. He got up, and handing the (bank) answer sheets to the invigilator against all persuasion, walked out of the hall in protest. When he came home within less than half an hour of the commencement of the examination and met father at the doorstep, it was a worthy sight! The surprised parent could not decide whether to show anger or laugh at the situation, such as even he as a Professor of long standing had never been faced with-a situation comic enough, but, nevertheless, potentially fraught with serious consequences, for the University was in no way bound to set a fresh paper to please the impetuosity of a young student. nevertheless, potentially fraught with serious consequences, for the University was in no way bound to set a fresh paper to please the impetuosity of a young student. The matter went upto the University Syndicate. Birbal Sahni won the day, for it was decided that no examiner could be so easy going or disinterested as to pick up an earlier paper and inflict it upon the students, almost in toto. A fresh paper was set for him. This shows how well he held the courage of his convictions, where even an older man might have been afraid to lose a year so unnecessarily, being well able to answer the questions set.
MARRIAGE
Companion to him throughout life. Even now, with the burden of a deep sorrow in her heart, she looks after the priceless legacy, which her husband has left to the nation-the Institute of Palaeobotany at Lucknow. She was constantly with him whether at home or abroad, and they both had many unique opportunities of visiting foreign universities and institutions and of meeting the leading scientists of the day. The last of such visits was to the U.S.A. and Europe. With his own artistic bent of mind he planned and built a beautiful home on the banks of the Gomti, where friends from all parts of the world were frequent visitors and where he lived the best part of his busy and unostentatious.
RELIGIOUS VIEWS
Birbal Sahni rarely discussed religion with anybody. He was religiously inclined but not in the dogmatic sense of the term. He expressed his taith in his lasting friendships, his generosity (for those whom he helped are many and, above all, by his care and forethought in the small matters of life, irrespective of individual status. There is one little incident. It was when he was on one of his Himalayan traverses with his father, on the Hindustan- Tibet Road, proceeding towards Chini. The road from Narkanda to Baghi lay through a thick forest infested with bears and other wild animals as, indeed, the name Baghi suggests from bagh, a leopard. They had started late for their next camp. Reaching the edge of the forest when darkness was already falling fast, they realized that one of their porters had not reached. Nor was he likely to reach soon. Birbal Sahni taking the khad-stick from his father, soon disappeared alone into the jungle, and though quite late, safely brought back the porter who had had an attack of malaria. There was nothing too small, nor anybody too insignificant for him to take an interest in, or help.
LENGTHENING SHADOWS
Birbal Sahni was always a dreamer and a visionary. Soon after his return from Cambridge and while his brother was yet a student there, he wrote to him that he had plans to explore the trans-Himalayan regions and even the unknown islands of the Pacific. It became, of course, impossible for him to give tangible shape to all these ambitions, for he was always steeped in his work. Quite early too the idea of founding the Institute of Palaeobotany took shape in his mind. Towards this end he worked incessantly, enriching his collections of fossil plants by field work and exchange and by building up the finest library for palaeobotanical work in India. The Institute was founded on the 10th September, 1946. The Foundation-Stone of its new building was laid on the 3rd April, 1949 in the presence of a galaxy of scientists and men of letters, by the nation's pride and idol, Jawaharlal Nehru, himself a student of science and a near contemporary of Birbal Sahni at Cambridge. Such, however, was the cruel irony of fate, that on the midnight of 9th-10th April, within less than a week of this ceremony, ere this tender sapling had even taken root, the gardener was snatched away, and laid to rest in the infinitude of eternity. And such was the affection and high esteem in which he was held that he was laid to rest within the precincts of the Institute itself, a homage unique and unparalleled in the history of perhaps any town in India to a scientist. It seems, looking in retrospect at the rapidity with which happy and tragic events followed each other, as if Birbal Sahni had been pre-ordained only to fulfill a mission-and depart. To those who knew him and loved him, this cruel and untimely blow meant not merely the passing away of a great scientist, a philanthropist and a patriot, but the end of a beautiful and unbounded friendship. The unscrutable plan of the Architect is, however, different to ours. The beginning and the end are, after all, mere human conceptions, one likes to think. For who can probe into their eternal mysteries and unmask their hidden secrets-
Who knows the Final End, and who the Morning Glow?
The darkest depths of night, unfold the brightest day;
The ripened acorn tumbles, always but to grow;
Were Life and Death not moulded, in one, common, clay?
(Based on "Birbal Sahni: a biographical sketch of his personal life" by M. R. Sahni, 1963).
BIRBAL SAHNI INSTITUTE OF PALAEOBOTANY -THE VISION THAT CAME TRUE
The foremost desire of Professor Birbal Sahni, the eminent botanist, was to put palaeobotanical research in India on an organized basis. As early as 1929, he decided to establish a museum of fossil plants. Due to lack of response from the then government to grant funds for this venture, committed as he was, he resolved to see his cherished dream through by financing it from his own, as well as from other private resources.
In September 1939, Professor Sahni convened a Committee of Indian palaeobotanists to co-ordinate palaeobotanical research in India and also to publish periodic reports on the progress of Indian palaeobotany. To impart a formal status to the committee, The Palaeobotanical Society was founded on May 19, 1946 and registered as a trust on June 3, 1946.
The object of The Society was to promote original research in fossil botany on an all-India basis, and its application to problems of economic geology. At Professor Sahni's behest, the Governing Body of The Society resolved on September 10, 1946 to establish an Institute of Palaeobotany. The Institute started functioning at the Botany Department of Lucknow University with Professor Sahni as the Honorary Director.
Rich collections of plant fossils and literature donated by Professor Sahni, and a small amount of private funds, mainly contributed by the Sahni's and the Burmah Oil Company were the only initial assests of the Institute. In September 1948, the Government of United Provinces gifted to the Institute a building next to the Lucknow University, and the Institute moved there. As Professor Sahni envisaged the development of palaeobotany in all its aspects, a comprehensive plan was prepared for the construction of a new building for which the Government of India sanctioned required funds.
The Foundation Stone for the new building of the Institute was laid by Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India, On April 3, 1949. In his speech requesting Mr. Nehru to lay the Foundation Stone, Professor Sahni said, "The stone, which it will be my privilege now to ask you, Sir, to lay, is a some what unusual sort of monument. There if stands in front of you. It has been purposely made in this laboratory from an assortment of rocks and fossils from may different countries, and from many geological formations". He further said, "It is our hope that in this stone a link will have been forged in the chain of international goodwill and cultural co-operation. By laying this foundation-stone you will, therefore, be helping us to achieve for this young institute a hopeful future of a broad and truly international look which is one of our main objectives".
Unfortunately, Birbal Sahni did not live to see his cherished dream fulfilled. He passed away on April 10, 1949. To cope with the emergent situation, the Governing Body of The Palaeobotanical Society authorized Mrs. Savitri Sahni to discharge all the duties of the Director of the Institute in addition to those as President of The Society. In October 1949, the Governing Body of The Palaeobotanical Society renamed the Institute as Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany as a tribute to the guiding beacon.
Shouldering the onerous responsibility Mrs. Savitri Sahni rose to the occasion. Her untiring efforts and zeal led to the completion of the new building by the end of 1952. The building was dedicated to Science by Shri Jawaharlal Nehru on January 2, 1953 amidst a galaxy of scientists from India and abroad. Professor Tom M. Harris of the Reading University, England, served the Institute as an advisor form December 1949 to January 1950. Dr. R. V. Sitholey was appointed as Officer-in-Charge to carry out the duties of the Director. Professor Ove Arbo Hoeg of the Oslo University, Norway then served as Director of the Institute from October 1951 to August, 1953 on an Unesco assignment. After his departure, Dr K. R. Surange took over as Officer-in-charge, to be appointed in October 1959 as Director-in-charge of academic and research activities, the administrative powers remained vested with Mrs Savitri Sahni till 1968. Dr M. N. Bose succeeded him in May 1980. After superannuation of Dr Bose in March 1985, Dr S. C. D. Sah temporarily held charge as the Director till June 1985 Dr B. S. Venkatachala took over as Director.
It was realized that the Birbal Sahni Institue should function independently of The Palaeobotanical Society. The Society therefore reconstituted itself as a purely professional scientific body and transferred the possession of the Institute to the newly constituted Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany Society in November 1969, under the new setup the Institute functions as an autonomous research organization financed by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Professor T. S. Sadasivan of the Madras University, the first Chariman of the Governing Body of the Institute under the new setup held office till January 1978 and was succeeded by Professor T. S. Mahabale of Poona University, Professor A. K. Sharma of Calcutta, Professor H. Y. Mohan Ram of Delhi University took office in September 1987.
The main objectives of the Institute are:
. To develop palaeobotany, including palaeopalynology, in all its botanical and geological aspects;
. To constantly update the data for interaction with allied disciplines;
. To co-ordinate with other knowledge centers in areas of mutual interest, such as Early Life, Exploration of Fossil Fuels, Vegetation Dynamics, Climatic Modelling, Conservation of Forests, etc; and
. Dissemination of palaeobotanical knowledge.
During the early phase the research activities of the Institute laid emphasis on composition of the Indian fossil floras, the form and structure of different taxa, and their distribution in time and space. Gradually, the research activities diversified to encompass palynological and petrological studies for building past history of vegetation and also to understand the genesis and palaeecology of coal basins. Attention was also paid to phylogeny and evolution. Biostratigraphic dating of sediments, correlation of surface and subsurface sections and location of favourable areas for oil Prospecting assumed added importance. Ultrastructural structural studies for morphotazonomy have recently been introduced with the availability of a Scanning Electron Microscope. Investigations of Biodiagenesis have been given due importance to understand factors responsible for the degradation of dispersed organic matter. An MPV -3 microscope facility has been added for this study. Keeping in view the importance of absolute dating of palaeobotanical and archaeological samples, the Institute established a Carbon (14C) Dating Laboratory in January 1973. During the years the laboratory has attained the status of a full-fledged Radiometric Dating Department. Fission-Track dating method has been perfected; the Postassium-Argon (K-Ar) dating facility is expected to become operational soon. In order to attain wider interaction between the scientists at the Institute as well as to increase inter-institutional collaboration, increasingly more emphasis is laid on multidisciplinary approaches since 1986. It has also been made a guide line for future planning. The application of this concept has substantially increased precision and accuracy of results.