Dr. S Pradeep Kumar

KSCSTE-Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (KSCSTE-JNTBGRI), established in 1979, has been functioning in the major thrust areas: (i) establishment of ex situ conservatories and garden development, (ii) integrated taxonomy and conservation biology, (iii) sustainable utilization of tropical plant resources, (iv) infrastructure development, capacity building through training.

KSCSTE-JNTBGRI, with over 50,000 accessions of 4,800 species in its conservatories, is the largest repository of live plants in India. The Institute so far reported over 800 new life forms (species) of angiosperms, mushrooms and fungi. The institute Herbarium holds 43,000 specimens of nearly 4,021 species. It also has a vast database of traditional and ethno-medical information of the State of Kerala. Institute conservatories, species-mushroom herbaria and seed bank are very useful repositories for students, academicians, foresters and policy makers on our plant wealth.

The lab-based sustainable utilization efforts resulted in peer reviewed publications, patents, Ph.Ds, new secondary metabolites, new essential oil sources, new gene sequences, bioactive molecules and herbal products. Institute on a regular basis organizes seminars, workshops and training programmes.

The Institute located at the foothills of Western Ghats at Palode, 40 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram, is enroute to the tourist locations Thenmala, Palaruvi waterfalls and Ponmudi. Over 20,000 students and public are visiting its conservatories and labs every year.

Pradeep Kumar Sreedharan Nair became the Member Secretary of the Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment, Govt. of Kerala, in September 2016. As the Administration head, Pradeep Kumar is responsible for the overall administrative management of the Council and the management of Research and Development Institutions and grant-in-aid centres in various disciplines across the state.  He was also in additional charge of the Director of the Council for a few years and looked after the schemes and programmes, too.  He also holds the additional charge of the Director of Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (KSCSTE-JNTBGRI).  He is also the steering committee member of the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation – Community Agro-Biodiversity Centre, Wayanad (MSSRF-CAbC).

Before he was appointed Member Secretary, Pradeep Kumar served as the Controller of Examination of the University of Kannur for six years and streamlined the examination calendar of the University.  He also holds the full additional charge of the Registrar for a few months.

Pradeep Kumar also has extensive experience in teaching and research in botany.  He joined as a lecturer in Botany in 1987 and relived as Associate Professor in 2010 to facilitate him to take charge of the Controller of Examinations. Meanwhile, he took his PhD degree from the University of Kerala.