On March 7th, 2024, the Pharmacognosy Department of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at GCU, Assam, conducted its annual visit to the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi). As part of the curriculum enrichment program mandated by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), 58 D.Pharm (1st Year) students and 4 M.Pharm (2nd Semester) students participated in the Pharmacognosy Field Visit. Dr. Trishna Das, Dr. Rupa Sengupta, and Mr. Ian Stewart Suchiang provided guidance. Hosted by Ms. Kalpana Baishya (Office Assistant, NEDFI, Khetri), the event included knowledge-based activities to enhance understanding of medicinal plant cultivation, their commercial value, and their healthcare applications. The students visited open fields where they have witnesses and identified various species of medicinal and aromatic plants, their cultivation, processing and large-scale production of volatile oil in distilleries.
Moreover, the students visited the Traditional Craft and Handloom Gallery, where various plants, including water hyacinth, were handcrafted to create eco-friendly products for domestic use. The center also cultivates ‘Lac’ and ‘Indigo,’ natural dye products derived from plants. Throughout the event, students gained valuable insights into herbal medicine, and the outcomes of the field visit underscored the significance of indigenous herbs cultivated in and around Assam.
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