Sri Vijaya Puram, Mar 13: The Postgraduate Department of Botany, JNRM organised its Annual Botanical Forum Festival – Floristic ’26 – from 9th to 12th March 2026, with the theme ‘Marine Biodiversity’. Over the first three days, a wide range of competitive events were held like Q-Fiesta (Quiz Competition on Biodiversity & Conservation), Floral Art, Microbiome Food Festival, Earthen Pot Painting, Vagmi (PowerPoint Presentation Competition), Poster Making, Rhythmic Botany, Best out of Waste, Wildflower Arrangement, No Fire Food, Vegetable & Fruit Carving and Painting & Drawing. These events attracted enthusiastic participation from students across various departments of the college.
The festival was inaugurated by Dr. Lal Singh, Scientist E & Additional Director, Botanical Survey of India, Sri Vijaya Puram. On this occasion, the wall magazine ‘Daffodils’ was unveiled by Dr. Pearl Devdas, Principal, JNRM.
During the valedictory and lecture sessions held on 12th March, the chief guest, Mr. Jojo P. Alappatt, IFS, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Department of Environment and Forests, A & N Administration, highlighted that the A & N Islands represent a miniature India in terms of biodiversity and stressed that understanding the depth of biodiversity is essential for protecting forests. He noted that while plantations can be created, a natural forest with its complex diversity cannot be easily recreated. He also warned that many species are going extinct globally and emphasised the need for lifestyle changes to conserve nature.
The event was addressed by several distinguished guests. Dr. C. Sivaperuman, Scientist-F and Additional Director, ZSI, Sri Vijaya Puram, highlighted the extraordinary biodiversity of the A & N Islands, noting that the islands harbour a high level of endemism, including many unique bird species and diverse marine ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass beds and seaweed habitats. Dr. G. Padmawati, Professor & Head, Department of Ocean Studies and Marine Biology, Pondicherry University, encouraged students to visualise, observe, analyse and embrace new ideas for solving environmental challenges. She stressed the importance of maintaining cleanliness, proper segregation of waste and learning responsible habits like cleaning our own surroundings. Dr. Pearl Devdas, Principal, JNRM, appreciated the creativity displayed by students during the festival. She encouraged students to adopt simple and responsible practices in daily life and emphasised that charity and responsibility begin at home.
The department magazine, ‘Daffodils’, was also released on this occasion. Earlier welcoming the gathering, Dr. Dipon Sharmah, HOD Department of Botany, spoke about the renewed interest and enthusiasm among students in appreciating and protecting the rich biodiversity of the islands, and emphasised the collective responsibility to work towards its conservation. A vibrant cultural presentation was organised in which students represented 14 different states of India and showcased their traditional attire along with the state plants symbolising each region’s unique botanical heritage. Prizes and certificates were distributed to the winners of the various competitive events. More than 250 students of Botany, Chemistry, Zoology and Geography departments along with faculty members of the college attended the programme. The vote of thanks was proposed by Ananya Kujur of B.Sc. Second Year. The entire programme was compered by Shanaz Begum of M.Sc. Final Year and Sania Shaji of B.Sc. Botany Second Year.
