The Department of Pharmacognosy was established in the year 1988 to keep abreast of the rapid developments in the knowledge and utilization of medicinal plants. There is an ever increasing acceptance for the past three decades for herbal drugs all over the world. The universal role of plants in the treatment of disease is exemplified by their employment in all the major systems of medicine. The department is involved in the protection of endangered medicinal species and the isolation of new drugs and lead compounds from traditional remedies.