The ABRF Prayagraj, India is a self-supporting, academic and research associated body. It is basically nonprofit and Non-Government Organization: (1) to provide a common platform for scientists associated with biological sciences to interact with one another for mutual benefit and to enhance the innovative knowledge on the subjects, (2) to provide an opportunity among the Biologists to share the Academic, Research, and
other related vistas and experiences (3) to encourage, facilitate and perform the activities related to conservation of water, nature and biodiversity, (4) to organize seminars, symposia, workshops, brainstorming sessions, lectures, and summer/winter schools to aware and educate the people on blazing environmental and social issues in the larger interest of human and humanities (5) to felicitate the persons and organizations internationally for their outstanding services rendered in basic, applied and modern biological sciences including all branches of Botany, Zoology, Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Environmental Science, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Microbiology, and so on and (6) to collaborate with National and International Institutions, Government and Non-Government Organizations, Schools, Colleges, Institutions, Universities, Private and Public sector Industries to achieve the objectives of the ABRF.
ICAR-National Research Centre on Camel (NRCC), Bikaner, is a Premier Research Centre of the Indian
Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) which is an autonomous organization under the Department of
Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. Since
th its inception on 5 July, 1984, the Center is working with a vision“Improvement of traditional and economic
utility of camel through scientific conservation, management, nutritional security, disease control and
extension methods” by focusing on basic and applied research on one humped camel (Camelus
dromedarius) mostly confined to the arid and semi-arid areas of North-western India and also double humped
camel (Camelus bactrianus) found in the arid cold-desert of Nubra Valley of Laddakh region.
Climate change has been observed to impact mostly the extreme climatic regions and the native camel seems to
be most resistant animal in these regions. The camel production system in India remains traditional, e,g,
nomadic, transhumance, sedentary that is mainly linked with the social life of the pastorals and camel herders.
Despite its indispensability as a mode of transportation and draught power in the desert ecosystem, modern-day
transportation and road-network has diminished its potentiality and it is now thus facing the threat of
unsustainability. India's camel population has decreased drastically from 10.0 lakhs in the early part of the
century to only 2.5 lakhs in 2019 and the populated state of Rajasthan has the maximum decline compared to
neighbouring Gujarat. In this scenario, promotion of 'Camel Dairy' emphasizing therapeutic benefits of camel
milk would definitely widen the prospects of camel rearing and earn additional revenue to the farmers for their
socio-economic stability and may possibly also block its declining trend. Tactical intervention in production and
application of marketing strategies for higher return from produce and products would open up avenues for
future investment and maximize profit from 'Camel Dairy' based livestock enterprises. Further, possibilities need
to be explored for use of male camels in eco-tourism business for additional revenue and socio-economic
upliftment of camel herders. The unique species of the desert ecosystem has also widened its scope in
biomedical research due to its exceptional immune system and adaptive thermoregulation mechanism.
Concerted efforts from policy makers, research and development agencies, stakeholders and the farmers for its
potential application as 'Multi-utility' animal will definitely serve the socio-economic livelihood of the traditional
rearers and block its declining trend in safeguarding the community as well as the camel.
CAZRI Regional Research Station, Bikaner (Rajasthan)
,The arid zone of India covers about 12% of the country's geographical area and occupies over 31.7 m ha of
hot desert and about 7 m ha is under cold desert. The production and life support systems in the hot regions
are constrained by low and erratic precipitation (100-420 mm/year), high evapotranspiration (1500-2000
mm/year), and poor soil physical and fertility conditions. The local inhabitants have evolved suitable landuse
and management systems of farming, pastoralism and animal husbandry; of late, these local survival
systems have become inadequate to fulfill the ever increasing needs. This has resulted in over-exploitation of
the resources causing rapid and widespread land degradation and decline in productivity. To arrest this
degradation process and for scientific and sustainable management of the resources, Desert Afforestation
Station was established in 1952 at Jodhpur. This was later expanded into Desert Afforestation and Soil
Conservation Station in 1957, and finally upgraded to Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) in 1959
under Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. The CAZRI operates through Six Divisions, located
at the headquarters in Jodhpur. There are five Regional Research Stations located in different agro-climatic
zones to work on location-specific problems
Swami Keshwanand, after whom the RAU has been renamed as Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural
University, Bikaner (SKRAU, Bikaner) vide Gazette notification No. F. 4 (2) vidhi/ 2/ 2009 dated June 09, 2009,
was born at the village Magloona in Sikar district of present-day Rajasthan in the year 1883. His actual name
was Birama. The famine of 1899 forced the 16-year-old Birama to leave the desert region and move to Punjab
in search of livelihood. Driven by an ineffable spiritual quest, he became a sanyasi in 1904 and was inducted
into the Udasin sec. He commenced his education at the Sadhu Ashram Fazilka. He learned the Hindi and
Sanskrit languages and the Devanagari and Gurmukhi scripts at the Ashram. At the Kumbha Mela held at
Prayag in 1905, Mahatma Hiranandji Avadhut conferred on Birama the new name “Swami Keshwanand”.
Swami Keshwanand lived an accomplished life of myriad facets such as freedom fighter, educator, Hindi
propagator and social reformer
Govt. Dungar College, Bikaner is named after Maharaja Shri Dungar Singhji and in its nascent state was
called The Darbar School. Shri Dungar Singhji was the 20th ruler of the erstwhile state of Bikaner and
established The Darbar School in the year 1873.After his demise, his brother Ganga Singhji elevated the
Darbar School to Dungar Memorial College on 25 September, 1912. College level teaching started in the year
1928. In the year 1937 degree classes started in the college and in the same year the school was separated
from the college with the name of Sardul School. In July 1940, intermediate Science Faculty started with
Physics and Chemistry subjects. In 1942, Degree level Science, law classes and post- graduate Departments
of Hindi, Sanskrit, English, History and Economics were opened. In the year 1951, there were only five postgraduate colleges in Rajasthan and Dungar College was one of them.
In 1962, the college shifted from Sardul school premises to its present-building. Postgraduate teaching in
Physics and Chemistry started in the same year. In 1970 M.Sc in Zoology, Botany and LLM were started. The
college extended its academic growth with the postgraduate teaching in Geography, Sociology, Economics,
Geology and Urdu departments. From 1988-1995 the college was given the status of an autonomous
college. In the session 1996-97, commerce faculty was started in the college. Today this college is one of the
premier institutions of Rajasthan, where 22 subjects are being taught at Graduate and Post Graduate level
and 10 at M.Phil level. Research work is also being carried out for Ph.D Degree in all three faculties Arts,
Science & Commerce. Dungar College was recognized by the UGC u/s 2f and 12B in the year 1972 as per its
policy for colleges established before 1972.
Vidya Bhawan Rural Institute, an institution of Vidya Bhawan Society, Udaipur was established in 1956 with
the vision of "Empowering Rural Youth with the Quality Education". Under the aegis of the Union Ministry of
Education, Government of India, it was conceived as one among the chain of rural institutes in higher education; started at various places in the country; focusing on teaching, research and extension to cater to
the growing and fast emerging needs of the rural community. Over the 50 plus years, Vidya Bhawan Rural
Institute has successfully completed its long and arduous journey, and continues to make an impact. The
Institute today offers graduate and postgraduate courses in all the disciplines. Department of Botany, VBRI,
Udaipur have well equipped and sophisticated research facilities. The Botany Department has excellent
faculty members with impressive research and academic experience. It has undertaken many research
projects funded by various government agencies like DST, UGC, SK Jain institute of Ethnobiology, Gwalior. It
offers excellent academic and career opportunities to young students.
