Expert Member of selection committee constituted by the Department of Higher Education Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi for selection of the candidates for foreign scholarships w.e.f. 2008 to till date. 

Member Governing Body, (Nominated by UGC) of Govt. D. B. Girl’s College, Raipur, under Pt. Ravi Shankar Shukla University, Raipur (Chhattisgarh), w.e.f. 2009-2013. 

Member Governing Body, (Nominated by UGC) of Sahyadri Science College, Shimoga (Karnataka) under Kuvempu University (Karnataka) w.e.f. 2009-2012. 

Expert Member of UGC team Visiting for XI^th Plan/Grant to C.D.L.U., Sirsa (Haryana), w.e.f. 08.06.2009 to 10.06.2009. 

UGC Observer to oversee the selection process for promotion from Reader to Professor under CAS at Vidyasagar University, Medinapur (West Bengal) on 03 November, 2009.  

Expert Member of Selection committee constituted by Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India for selection of Scientists in Ministry of Environment and Forests during 2009. 

UGC Nominee for DEC (Distance Education Council) Joint Inspection Committee for Periyar Maniammai University, Thanjavur, (Tamil Nadu) from Dec. 2009 onward. 

Nominated Member of UGC Committee for proposal under section 12 (B) and XII Five Year Plan/ Grant, Devangere University, Karnataka, w.e.f. May 17-19, 2010. 

Nominated UGC- CAT Member, for Maharashtra-SET Committee held in Dec.2010, at Pune, Maharashtra.  

Nominated UGC- CAT Member, for UGC-SET Accreditation Committee at West Bengal College Service Commission, Kolkata held in Feb., 2010. 

Nominated UGC- CAT Member, for Himachal Pradesh-SET Committee held in May, 2011 at HPSC Office, Shimla.  

Nominated UGC-CAT Member, for G-SET Committee held in Feb. 2011, at M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat. 

Expert Member for evaluation of Proposal for Travel Grants to College teachers for attending Conferences abroad held on May, 2011. 

Member, Entrance Examination Committee, for admission in M.Sc.(Botany) Delhi University, (w.e.f. 1999 to till date). 

Served as Member of Subcommittees for restructuring of M.Sc. and M.Phil. Courses 2005-2007 and 2009 (Semester System) at Dept. of Botany, Delhi University. 

Worked as observer, in the University Flying Squad Team appointed by Controller of Examination (w.e.f. 1998-2002). 

Member Central Instruments Facilities (HPLC) Committee, Deptt. of Botany (2010 to till date).

Teacher in charge, Central Plant Tissue Culture Lab., Deptt. of Botany (2002 to till date). 

Teacher In-charge of M.Sc. Teaching Laboratory (2009 – till date). 

Member of Expert panel of U.P.S.C, C.S.I.R.(New Delhi), Central Universities, Council of Forest Research, Dehradun. 

Member and co- convener, Departmental Library Committee (2001-2002; 2008 to till date). 

Member, Departmental Purchase Committee for Equipments of Central Instrumentation Facility (2008-to - till date). 

Served as Member Departmental Garden Committee (2001-2002).

Plant tissue culture and biotechnology (Micropropagation and genetic transformation), evaluation, isolation and biosynthesis of natural anticancerous, antimalarial and larvicidal bioactive compounds from medicinal plants; biochemical and molecular basis of differentiation and impact abiotic stress on plants; sex linked markers.  

M.Sc. level

Cell biology & Plant biotechnology (plant tissue culture & genetic transformation), Archegoniatae,Biology of Bryophytes, Pteridophytes & Gymnosperms (Conifers biotechnology).

M.Phil. level

Topics in Experimental Embryology, Molecular Biology & Genetics.

Supervision of awarded Doctoral Thesis: 11( Thesis Submitted & Awarded)

Supervision of Doctoral Thesis, under progress

Supervision of awarded M.Phil dissertations: 14

Supervision of M.Phil. dissertation, under progress: 2

Organization of a Conference

INTERNATIONAL 

Participated as Member Organising Committee in the International Workshop on Sustainability and Water Quality held at Hotel Maidens, 7 Sham Nath Marg, Delhi and Sponsored by The Green Chemistry Network Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi w.e.f. Jan. 17-20, 2011.

Participated as Member Organising Committee in the Workshop on Green Chemistry Education: Necessity of a sustainable Future held at Dept. Chemistry, Univ. Delhi and Sponsored by Royal Society of Chemistry, London on Nov. 20, 2010. 

Participated as Member of Editorial and Organizing Committee of 2^nd Int. Symp. Med. Nutraceutical Pl. held at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), New Delhi w.e.f. 25-27 Nov. 2009. 

Participated as Member of Organizing Committee Int. Conf. Indo-US S&T Workshop Green Chem. held in New Delhi (January 7-9, 2008). 

Completed Projects

Worked as Principal Investigator of a Major Research Project sanctioned by the University Grants Commission on In vitro clonal propagation of Male and Female Simmondsia chinensis Elite Plants (Started on October, 1994) which has been successfully completed on February 12, 1998. One Ph.D. student Mr. Surya Prakash worked as Project fellow under my supervision and obtained Ph.D. degree. 

Worked as Principal Investigator of another Major Research Project of University Grants Commission entitled “In vitro Morphogenic studies: Mass Propagation and Somatic Embryogenesis” on Oct. 18, 1998 to Oct. 18, 2001. The project has been successfully completed One Project Fellow Miss Shahnaz Subhan, worked for her Ph.D. degree. 

Worked as Principal Investigator of UGC’s Major Research Project entitled “Micropropagation and Evaluation of Genetic fidelity of off-springs of two important medicinal plants Centella asiatica and Holarrhena antidysenterica”. w.e.f. June 20, 2002 to July 26, 2005. 

Worked as Principal Investigator of UGC’s Major Research Project entitled “Biodiversity and in vitro selection of Psoralea corylifolia plants yielding high content of anticancerous bioactive compounds genistein, diadzein and psoralen”.  w.e.f. April 2007-September, 2010.

Ongoing Projects 

Working as Principal Investigator of a National Oilseeds and Vegetable Oils Development (NOVOD) Board Major Research Project entitled “Development of Tissue culture protocol for mass propagation using elite Jatropha line & their biochemical evaluation” sanctioned for three years from 2008-2012. 

Principal Investigator of ICMR Project in collaboration with Malaria Research Centre on the topic entitled “Survey of North Indian Medicinal Plants for their larvicidal activity against malaria and filarial vectors” for three years w.e.f. 2013.        

Elected Member of Plant Tissue Culture Association of India (PTCAI), 2010. 

Chaired Technical Session on Plant Tissue Culture, Biotechnology and Germplasm Conservation, during the National Conference on Plant Physiology: Physiological and Molecular Approaches for Crop improvement under Changing Environment, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). w.e.f. Nov. 25-27, 2010. 

Chaired one of the technical sessions during the 2^nd Int. Symp. Med. Nutraceutical Pl. held at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), New Delhi w.e.f. 25-27 Nov. 2009. 

Invited as Guest Speaker by Organisers and delivered lecture entitled “Bioprospecting of Medcinal plants: Conservation, isolation and biosynthesis of bioactive compounds” (Through invited lecture series) in the 2^nd Int. Symp. Med. Nutraceutical Pl. held at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), New Delhi w.e.f. 25-27 Nov. 2009. 

Chaired one of the technical sessions in the Int. Conf. Curr. Trends Biotech. Implications Agri. at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Univ. Agri. Tech. Meerut (U.P) w.e.f. Feb. 19-21, 2009. 

Selected top Referee 2006 by Editors of Scientia Horticulture (Elsevier) for evaluating research paper and high quality review report vide letter of Dr. Bernard Westerop, Senior Publishing Editor, Elsevier. 

Registered bsps gene (Boiling stable protein gene isolated from Sesbania sesbane) to EMB (European Molecular Biology Laboratory) vide their Accession No. AJ582752 in the year 2005. 

Awarded UGC National Research Scientist ‘A’ award in 1990; was elevated to Research Scientist ‘B’ (Reader) in the year 1995 and promoted to Research Scientist “C’ (Professor).in the year 2003 at the Dept. of Botany, Univ. of Delhi. 

Awarded IAPTC&B Fellowship for participation in the ‘XI^th International Congress Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology’ held at Beijing, (China), August 15-18, 2006. 

Filed Patents vide Application No. 998/DEL/2006 dated April 17, 2006 for “Extraction Process for isolation of psoralen, an anticancerous compound from Psoralea corylifolia through DU and TIFAC. 

Filed patents vide Application Nos 1786/DEL/2010 and 1787/DEL/2010 for developing herbal extract and fraction from Psoralea corylifolia seeds possessing strong anticancerous activity. 

Awarded Cash prize and Certificate for best Poster entitled “In vitro plantlet regeneration through callus raised from Poplar trees during Non-regenerative period” at WWF Auditorium, Delhi, during Tree- Science Conference, 1998, from April 10-13, 1998. Sponsored by International Union of forest Research Organization (IFURO). 

Awarded DST and UGC Fellowship for participation in the Congress sponsored by International Association of Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology held at Jerusalem (Israel) from June 13-18, 1998. 

Awarded prize (Certificate) for best Poster entitled “High Efficiency in vitro clonal propagation of female jojoba plants” presented during the National Symposium on Emerging Trends in Plant Tissue Culture Association, held at Dept. of Genetics, Osmania University Hyderabad, during Jan.  29-31 1997. 

Awarded CSIR (New Delhi) Research Associate-ship from Feb. 1986 to Nov. 1990. 

Awarded Pool Officers, Scientist’s Pool C.S.I.R from Feb. 1983 to Feb. 1986. 

Awarded UGC, PDF from Feb. 1982 to Sept. 31, 1982. 

Awarded UGC, JRF and SRF for conducting Ph.D. w.e.f. 1978 to 1982. 

Awarded M.B.D. Scholarship for M.Sc. (1975-77) for standing first in the B.Sc. amongst girls in the Kurukshetra University. 

Awarded Gold Medal for standing first in the B.Sc. in University College Kurukshetra in 1974 and Merit Scholarship at M.Sc.

Editing 

Member, Editorial Board of Phytomorphologhy 

Reviewing 

Referee/reviewer of various International journals. A few are listed below: 

Reviewer of Foreign Research Project: reviewed Research Project Sent by Kuwait Research Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, Kuwait. 

Plant Biology (Germany) 

Scientia Horticulture (Elsevier) 

International Journal of the Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops, The Netherlands 

In vitro Cellular Developmental Biol. Plants (Springer, New York) 

Indian J. Forestry, Phytomorphology, Delhi, J. of Physiol. Mol Biol. Pl. (Springer, India) 

Committees and Boards 

Expert Member of UGC Committees for Considering Proposal for Assistance of various Universities under XI^th Five year plan. Innovative programmes, Travel Grants, NET Examinations, etc. w.e.f. 2009-2010. 

Expert Member of Selection Committee of Associate Professor/ Assistant Professor at Central University of Gujarat w.e.f. 2010. 

Memberships 

International

International Association for Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology (IAPTCB), USA.

Society for Low Temperature Biology, London. (SLTB). 

Life member of International Society of Plant Morphologists. 

National

Life member, Plant Tissue Culture Association of India (PTCAI )

Life member, National Academy of Vector Borne Diseases (NAVBD)

Life member, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of India (MAPAI).

Life member, Society for Advancement of Botany (SAB).

Life member, Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA).

Life member, Delhi University Botanical Society (DUBS).

Life member, Eco-Transformation Society.

Life member, Indian Society of Tree Scientists (ISTS).

Life member, Orchid Society of India.

Life member, Indian Society of Plant Physiology (ISPP).

Life member, Society for Biology and Biotechnology.

Developed micropropagation protocols in 20 commercially and medicinally   important plants: Arnica montana, Artemisia annua,(three clones), Calliandra tweedii, Cassia angustifolia (Senna), Centella asiatica, Cicer arietinum, Cinamomum camphora (Camphor), Erythrina indica, Holarrhena antidysenterica (Kurchi), Psoralea corylifolia, Simmondsia chinensis, Spilanthes (Akarkara), Stevia rebaudiana, Terminalia bellirica, Tephrosia purpurea, Vernonia anthelmintica and Jatropha curcas. 

Participated in a two day workshop as Resource Person for Biotechnology Session, held at Yamuna Nagar (January 11-12, 1998) and attended all the four sessions on Biochemistry, Allergy & Applied Immunology, Biotechnology & Molecular Biology. 

Participated in the DBT sponsored training programme on “Cloning, Characterization and Sequencing of Plant Genes” held at Centre of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Jawahar Lal Nehru Univ., (Dec. 1994) New Delhi and learned technique for isolation of plasmid DNA, RNA, Plant DNA, electrophoresis, Agrobacterium mediated gene transfer and assay for transgene expression. 

Participated in DBT sponsored workshop-cum-symposium on “Molecular immunology, gene structure and expressions” held at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (Dec. 1991) and gained experience in handling modern tools of biochemistry e.g. Slab Gel Electrophoresis for protein/ DNA separation, Southern, Northern, Western, blotting and ELISA. 

Participated and learned techniques during the workshop on Plant Genetic Transformation held  at Delhi University  in the Laboratory of Professor S. C. Gupta conducted  by Professor S. C. Minocha, Univ. of New Hempshire, Durham, USA during 1990-91. 

Developed novel larvicidal herbal extract from Spilanthes (Akarkara) which causes 100%               lethality against malaria and filarial vectors. 

Conducted research on isolation, cloning and characterization of genes related to anther development in Nicotiana tabacum. Some sequences have been registered with Gene Bank vide their Accession Nos. EF532799 dated April 2, 2007, EF544390 dated April 9, 2007 (N. tabacum putative flower specific thionin cDNA). 

Foreign Visits

Kathmandu (Nepal): Invited by Biotechnological Assoc. Nepal to attend Int. Conf. “Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology” There, I Presented paper entitled “Seasonal variations in mophogenic responses of old Populus x euramericana tree explants and their call” in April 15-20, 1991. 

Jerusalem (Israel): Invited by IX Int. Cong. Pl. Tiss. Cult. Biotech. (USA) to orally present research paper. There I orally presented paper entitled “Differential Hormonal Requirements for Clonal Propagation of Male and Female Plants of Jojoba” in June 14-19, 1998. 

Developed special course “Biotechnology of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants” for M.Sc. Final Botany which has already been approved by Academic Council. 

CV invited/selected for publication in

Plant Sciences by Indian Women, compiled by Prof. Muhammad Iqbal, Department of Botany, Hamdard University, New Delhi (In Press). 

Marquis Who’s Who, Biographical data for Science and Engineering, 2007. 

Afro-Asians Who’s Who, by Rifacimento International, New Delhi-110002, 2006, p.13.

As Examiner For Ph.D. Thesis Evaluation 

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 

Jadhavpur University, Kolkata 

Rajasthan University, Jaipur 

M.D.U University, Rohtak, Haryana 

C.C.S University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh 

Pt. Ravi Shankar Shukla University, Raipur (Chattisgarh) 

Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 

Sambalpur University, Orissa

As Examiner For Conducting M.Sc. Biotech. Practical Exams As Well As Question Paper Setter  For Theory Exams

Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi.

North Eastern Hill Univ., Shillong (Meghalaya).

MDU Univ., Rohtak, Haryana

Rajasthan University, Jaipur

CCS Univ., Meerut, U.P.

Amity Univ., Noida, UP.

Kurukshetra Univ., Haryana

Summer Training To Under/ Post Graduate Students

Imparted summer training to around 20 various students of different institutions in the area of plant tissue culture and biotechnology e.g. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research (A.C.B.R), Delhi University, Hindu College, Delhi University, Amity University, Biotechnology Dept. Fakir Mohan University, Orissa, M.D. University, Rohtak, C. C. S. Univ., Meerut and Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar. 

Abstracts 

Parast, B M and Veena Agrawal. 2008. Evaluation of an anticancerous compound, psoralen from in vivo and in vitro nodal explants of Psoralea corylifolia exposed to heavy metal stress. In Proceedings All India Bot. Conf.  Int. Symp. Pl. Biol. Environ.: Changing Scenario. w.e.f. 17-19 December, 2008 at Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Abstr. S3.21: p 99.

Chetri, S. P. K. & Agrawal Veena. 2008. Micropropagation in an insecticidal plant Tephrosia purpurea Pers. And its bioefficacy against Spodoptera litura (Fabr.), a polyphagous pest. All India Bot. Conf. Int. Symp. Pl. Biol.Environ. Changing Scenario. w.e.f. 17-19 December, 2008 at Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Abstr. S3.22: p 99.

Agrawal, Veena, 1994. Phasic requirement of activated charcoal and auxin for rhizogenesis in in vitro raised shoots of a hybrid poplar. In Proc. VIII Int. Cong. Pl. Tiss. Cell Cult. Firenze, Italy, (P) (Abstr.).

Gupta, S C and Veena Agrawal. 1988. In vitro micropropagation of woody taxa and plant productivity. First Regional Conf. Assoc. SAARC Countries the ‘Role Pl. Physiol. & Biotech. Crop Product.’ Kathmandu, Nepal. Abstr. No. G 42.

Chaired the Session and Delivered/Invited Lectures

Delivered invited lecture on “In vitro strategies for improved production of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants involving microbes” at the Indo - German Workshop in the frame of the program "Initiation and Intensification of Bilateral Cooperation" Organized by Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh Together with Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Germany w.e.f. March 22 – 24, 2011.

Delivered Invited lecture on the topic entitled “In vitro screening of bio-larvicidal compounds against malaria and filaria vectors using crude extract and isolated fractions of medicinal herbs (Spilanthes spp.) and their isolation from medicinal plants” at the Natal. Symp. “Recent advance.  Pl. Tiss. Cult.  Biotech. Res. India”& XXXII An. Meet Pl. Tissue Culture Association (India). M.N. Institute Applied Sciences, Bikaner, Rajasthan, w.e.f. February 4-6, 2011.

Chaired the technical Session (Biodiversity and Conservation of Plants) and delivered invited lecture on “Morphogenic and molecular characterization of male and female plants of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis): a multipurpose oil yielding crop” in the National Conference on Plant Physiology: Physiological and Molecular Approaches for Crop improvement under Changing Environment, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). w.e.f. Nov. 25-27, 2010.

Delivered invited lecture on“Role of bacteria in the genetically modified crops” in the Indo-Italian Workshop on Bacteria & Fungi for Environmental Sustainability held at Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University in collaboration with Embassy of Italy, New Delhi. w.e.f. Nov. 29-30, 2010.

Delivered invited Lecture on“Biodiversity and in vitro selection of high psoralen yielding clone of Psoralea corylifolia and its mass propagation through tissue culture” in the National Conference on Biodiversity of Medicinal and Aromatic plants: Collection, Characterization and Utilization at Anand, Gujarat w.e.f. Nov. 24-25, 2010.

Delivered invited Lecture on “Emerging Trends in Medicinal Plant Research: Bioprospecting, In Vitro Conservation and Biosynthesis of Biomolecules” XXXI Meeting of Plant Tissue Culture Association (India) & National Symposium on Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture: The Present Scenario 3-5 March 2010, University of Calcutta, Kolkata.

Delivered lead lecture entitled “Bioprospecting of Medcinal plants: Conservation, isolation and biosynthesis of bioactive compounds” in the 2^nd Int. Symp. Med. Nutraceutical Pl. held at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), New Delhi w.e.f. 25-27 Nov. 2009.

Delivered invited Lecture on “In vitro evaluation of an anticancerous compound psoralen from Psoralea corylifolia and molecular analysis of key enzyme gene (psoralen synthase). 2^nd Int. Symp. Med. Nutraceutical Pl. held at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), New Delhi w.e.f. 25-27 Nov. 2009.

Agrawal, V. & Pandey, V.2009. In vitro bio-control of malarial and filarial vectors using crude extract and isolated fractions of medicinal herbs (Spilanthes spp.) and characterization of the larvicidal compounds. 2^nd Int. Symp. Med. Nutraceutical Pl. held at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), New Delhi w.e.f. 25-27 Nov. 2009.

Shankar V., Agrawal, V. & Agrawal, V. 2009. In vitro mass production of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (an antidiabetic endangered herb) and assessment of phytotoxicity of different heavy metals on stevioside synthesis. 2^nd Int. Symp. Med. Nutraceutical Pl. held at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), New Delhi w.e.f. 25-27 Nov. 2009.

Delivered Inaugural Lecture entitled, “GM Crops: Current Scenario, Prospects & Risks” at Hansraj College, Univ. Delhi on 17^th September, 2009.

Delivered invited lead lecture entitled,“Studies on Sexual Dimorphism in Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schneider: Differential Morphogenic Behaviour and DNA Fingerprinting” (Through invited lecture series) in the Int. Conf. Curr. Trends Biotech. Implications Agri. at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Univ. Agri. Tech. Meerut (U.P) w.e.f. Feb. 19-21, 2009.

Parast, B.M. & Agrawal Veena. 2008. Evaluation of an anticancerous compound, psoralen from in vivo and in vitro nodal explants of Psoralea corylifolia exposed to heavy metal stress. All India Bot. Conf.  Int. Symp. Pl. Biol. Environ.: Changing Scenario. w.e.f. 17-19 December, 2008 at Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Abstr. S3.21: p 99.