India Govt. Appoints First Mushroom Scientist to Lead BSI

In a groundbreaking moment for India’s scientific community, Dr. Kanad Das took charge as the 13th Director of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) on September 25, 2025, becoming the first mycologist to head the prestigious institute. The BSI, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), has played a vital role in cataloguing and conserving India’s plant biodiversity since its establishment in 1890. Dr. Das’s appointment signals a significant shift toward recognizing the importance of fungal biodiversity, an often overlooked yet crucial part of India’s ecosystem.

Who is Kanad Das?

India’s Leading Fungal Taxonomist

• Dr. Kanad Das is internationally renowned for his expertise in the taxonomy of fungi, with more than 165 new species of wild mushrooms and two new genera discovered under his name.

His academic portfolio includes,

• 170 research papers in reputed journals such as Fungal Diversity, Mycosphere, Nature Scientific Reports, and IMA Fungus
• Eight books authored on wild mushrooms
• 25+ years of experience in botanical sciences
• Key leadership roles at the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden and Central National Herbarium
• He began his career as a research scholar at BSI’s Dehradun center, exemplifying long-standing commitment and expertise within the organization.

Vision for the Botanical Survey of India

• Digitisation, Inclusivity & Scientific Expansion
• Finalize a comprehensive checklist of India’s lower plant groups and fungi
• Digitise the national herbarium database to make plant specimen data accessible to researchers and the general public

Botanical Survey of India

• Established: 1890
• Parent Ministry: MoEFCC
• Headquarters: Kolkata
• 11 Regional Centres, 4 supporting units
• Mission: Explore, document, and conserve India’s floral wealth

The BSI has been central to documenting the Flora of India, curating specimens, and conducting extensive field research across India’s diverse ecological zones.

Key Static

• New BSI Director: Kanad Das
• Specialization: Mycology (fungi taxonomy)
• Major achievement: Discovered 165 new mushroom species, 2 new genera
• BSI founded: 1890, headquartered in Kolkata
• Vision: Checklist of lower plant groups, digitisation of herbarium specimens