Mysore University, Mysore

Mysore University, Mysore The Department started as World Bank Aided Sericulture Project in the Department of Studies in Zoology in 1979 with a mandate to start sericulture as teaching and research programme. A Post – Graduate Diploma in Sericulture and Ph.D. programmes existed as early as 1980, in addition to having a two year Masters Degree course in Sericulture initiated during the academic year 1988-89. The infrastructural facilities in the Department were further improved by the financial assistance from the Central Silk Board (CSB) under National Sericulture Project in 1991. The project work culminated in rich collection of exotic and indigenous stocks of silkworm races / breeds. The races / breeds are scientifically maintained in the department by cataloguing them as bivoltines, multivoltines, genetic markers and mutants. The course Sericulture was changed to Sericulture and Seri-biotechnology w.e.f. 2008-09 by appropriately updating the curriculum. During late 90s, apart from Silkworm Breeding and Genetics, research in Mulberry Cytogenetics and Breeding, Silkworm Physiology and Pest Management was also taken up.