The University got establishment after separation from Agra University at Meerut in 1968 to cater to the needs of higher education in western Uttar Pradesh. Dr. R.K. Singh was appointed as First Vice Chancellor. He very sincerely and honesily searched for few quality honest people who had some degree of exposure from outside our country and these eminent personalities are known for their contribution in India and broad. Such people were chosen, considering the hidden potential of knowledge and experience without inviting any application or any interviews and offered to join. Persons like Prof V. Puri were persuaded to join so; the Department of Plant Sciences was established in 1969. Prof V. Puri was known not only in India but also around the World for his great contribution in Botany. Prof Puri expanded the Department by bringing finest brains having vast experience of different branches of Botany with the vision of Vice Chancellor Dr. R. K. Singh.

The University celebrated its silver jubilee in 1991. Presently, it is one of the premier educational institutions of the country encompassing a vast, beautiful and pollution-free campus which sprawls over 222 acres of land having vast playgrounds and experimental fields, botanical garden, rose garden with life-size statue of the late Prime Minister Ch. Charan Singh, Gymnasium, Indoor Stadium, well equipped Library, Hostels for both girls and boys, Administrative Block, Spacious Auditorium, Guest House, Community Center, Medical Center, Residential Quarters for faculty members and employees, Canteen, Bank and Post office. The teaching department belonging to different faculties, are housed in spacious buildings and have well-equipped laboratories and advanced facilities. The University also has a separate engineering college, which is currently offering courses leading to B.Tech. degree in several different branches of engineering.

Initially, the M. Phil and Ph.D. programmes were started in 1969 taking credit of becoming first University in the country to introduce M. Phil. programme. In 1973, Post Graduate level courses were also introduced with the modernized syllabi. Since then, the University has been progressing at a steady rate. During the VIII five years plan, introduction of self-financed courses keeping in pace with the changing demands of the society and also for human resources development, were planned. Now, there are five faculties with 22 UGC sponsored and 35 self financed/job oriented courses being run in the campus. 252 professional colleges/institutions 109 colleges and one constituent college are affiliated to Chaudhary Charan Singh University.

The Department of Botany was established in 1969 under the leadership of Prof. V. Puri, Prof. Y.S Murthy, Prof. P.K. Gupta, Prof. D. Banerji who dedicated their services for the betterment of the academia. The aim was to impart higher education in innovative areas. They focussed on improving the Training of faculty members in the colleges of University too. In the beginning focus was on Plant Morphology but later different branches were developed. M.Phil. programme was launched and two years later, M.Sc. programme for providing specialization in Taxonomy was also started. Since 1998, marching with the requirements of time, the Department started M.Sc. Botany with specialization in Biotechnology. In the year 2000, the Department introduced another innovative course of great future utility- M.Sc. Industrial Biotechnology. In 2010, the M.Sc. syllabi of the department became common with the affiliated colleges and two specializations out of a list of eight specializations were introduced. Following the UGC regulations 2009, a Pre-Ph.D. course work was also started in 2013.

The department has so far produced over 250 Ph. D. and 500 M. Phil. students. Over 450 research and review articles have been published. The department has run U.G.C. teacher fellowship programme and U.G.C. leadership project for many years. It has also organized U.G.C. sponsored refresher courses for university and college teachers, besides organizing several National Workshops and Seminars. It has a well-developed Museum, Herbarium and Botanical garden which are points of attraction. A very high percentage of its students qualify UGC/CSIR sponsored NET, GATE and SET besides PCS/IFS/IAS exams each year. The department has a proud legacy of doyen of Botany, Prof.V. Puri, succeeded by Prof. Y.S. Murty, Prof. P.K. Gupta, Prof. D. Banerji, Prof. V. Singh, Prof. C. M. Govil, Prof. V. Kumar, Prof. G. Prakash, Dr. A.P. Garg, Dr. Pandey and Prof. A.K. Srivastava. Presently, Prof. Y. Vimala and Prof. Rup Narayan are holding the torch for the coming generation of Botanists. The department has a rich list of esteemed alumni placed in finest (most sought after) services of this country and institutions of National and International repute and contributing in Nation's development.

The Alumni of the Botany Department, were regularly visiting the Department to meet and pay respects to their teachers since 1975, after obtaining M.Sc. Botany degree, from the then Institute of Advanced Studies. But contribution of alumni in to the Department and its students began since 2015 when the then Head, Professor Y. Vimala organised a mega event to celebrate the Silver Jubilee and invited large number of Alumni working in different professions, especially who were in Administration, Academics & Research at different places in the country and abroad. Many of them were already in contact of Professor Y. Vimala. Slowly but steadily, alumni network started growing bigger and bigger. After first Mega Meet of alumni in 2015, meets became a regular phenomena of Botany Department every year. Each year Alumni started assembling. Financial contributions also started coming in.

Most of old time teachers of the Department had already passed away. Few, who were available, were still in contact. Professor D. Banerji, our former Head of the Department is at Devas, M.P. He is leading a big group of volunteers, in service of tribal there Professor P.K. Gupta, the eminent researcher, who is at Meerut, is always available to the Department and significantly contributing to academics & research. Thus, the memories of good old days were all alive & kicking amongst many.

In spite of long gap between obtaining degree and post joining services, the subject of Botany was not forgotten even by those who went to Administrative services such as I.A.S., I.P.S. & P.C.S. rather it became more stronger in those who went to I.F.S. (Indian Forest Service). Our teachers were so dedicated that they could motivate us in Botany to the extent that in spite of being in variety of jobs other than academics many have not yet forgotten the subject-Botany.

The command on Botany subject and the way it was taught by our teachers, shaped our personality and mentored us. Many of us got placed in the finest services of this country. Not only that, many of us got into the finest academic and research institutions of our country and abroad. Many are leading our country academia, in academics as well as in rescarch. Department of Botany is inviting its alumni every year now. Alumni are gathering every year minimum twice, 10th December at Professor V. Puri birthday and on 21st February Professor Y.S. Murty death anniversary, to pay tributes to the great teachers. Invited lectures and specialized trainings on botanical techniques are part of these events. We are now a registered organisation in the form of a Society under UP Society Act, with limited amount of finance, but with unlimited spare time as most of us are retired now. So it is now officially known as "BOTANY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, C.C.S. University" with its "Registered Office" in the Botany Department, Room Number 111 at Ground Floor and with proper accounts in the Bank at Campus.

We wish to inform you that our alumni is not as rich as Alumni of LI.T., I.I.M., Medical & Law Institutes etc. Most of us are either in Government Service, in teaching or in research and very few are in professional services.

The Botany Department also has limited resources in terms of money and fundings, so it is a challenge to keep pace with the global developments. Under such circumstances we are giving our time & energy in the best of our capacity, by bringing best possible obliging resources, to the Department from every corner of the country to deliver the lecture and train the students of Botany here.

We are the students of Botany and have learnt from Professor E.P. Odum, the father of modern Plant Ecology that: "When Resources are in scarcity, it is always better to cooperate and make relationship mutualistic with each other to excel and show the highest productivity". Corals are live examples of such mutalistic relationship which not only survive in very low nutrient sea water but show high productivity, due to its Algal association within its body. Tropical forest are similar examples of such associations which not only survive in very low level of soil nutrients but show high productivity only due to Mycorrhizal association in roots. Lichens are also the examples of similar way of life having algae and fungi in the body, both supporting each other and becoming "one body" inseparable into algae and fungi.

So we need also develop into an inseparable association with our alma mater, giving real tribute to our Great Teachers by contributing enormously and participating. We organise 4-5 programmes every year including, as written above, on two dates ie. 10 Dec. and 21 Feb. These dates are fixed in our schedule programmes in a year as the Mega Events.

We can say with all our confidence that we shall succeed in our goals. We want to see our department and our University progressing and shining day by day. We want to see our faculty and students rising in their career and achieving the highest laurels. May your blessings and support be remain with the Alumni Association, with the motto "Let us give back, the best to the alma mater"