Lucknow: CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants organized a two-day Summer Internship-cum-Exposure Visit (21-22 May 2026) for students of La Martiniere Girls’ College, with the objective of promoting scientific awareness and providing hands-on experience in research on medicinal and aromatic plants.
In his message, Dr. Prabodh Kumar Trivedi, Director of CSIR-CIMAP, highlighted that such initiatives help inspire young minds and strengthen connections between students and the scientific community.
Dr. Bhaskar Shukla, Scientist-F, briefed the students on the activities of the CSIR-JIGYASA program, which aims to promote scientific learning among students and teachers. He also introduced the CSIR Aroma Mobile App and explained its usefulness in sharing information on aromatic plants, cultivation technologies, problem and advisory and other useful features.
During the program, students visited the Biological Central Facility (BCF), the Tissue Culture Central Facility, and the Chemical Central Facility to gain insight into the advanced research and scientific activities being conducted at the institute. The participants also visited the farm area, vermicompost unit, mushroom cultivation unit, and Demonstration Block to understand various scientific and agricultural practices related to medicinal and aromatic plants.
The program featured expert lectures by Dr. Ratnashekhar on “Analysis of Molecules in MAPs” and Dr. D. N. Mani on “Daily Routine as per Ayurveda,” which were highly appreciated by the students.
The event concluded with the felicitation and distribution of certificates to the students by Dr. Prabodh Kumar Trivedi, Director, CSIR-CIMAP. In his address, he welcomed faculty members and students and highlighted CSIR-CIMAP’s significant contributions in medicinal and aromatic plants, biotechnology, and sustainable agriculture.
The Director also spoke about the institute’s recent breakthrough research on low-nicotine tobacco. CSIR-CIMAP has successfully developed tobacco plants with substantially reduced nicotine content using advanced genome-editing approaches. He stated that this innovative research may help reduce nicotine dependency and minimize the harmful effects associated with tobacco consumption. He appreciated the efforts of the scientific team and reiterated the institute’s commitment towards research for societal benefit and national development.
A total of 21 students from Classes IX, X, XI, and XII participated in the programme. The exposure visit aimed to encourage scientific curiosity and inspire students towards science, innovation, and research in medicinal and aromatic plants.
