Solan August 29
The College of Horticulture and Forestry (COHF), Neri, celebrated its Foundation Day by organising Vanmahotsav-2026 at the Forestry Farm, Khaggal at Neri. Dr. Satish Sharma, Dean, COHF Neri, was the Chief Guest on the occasion. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Sharma acknowledged the valuable contributions of the faculty, staff and students of the College in its growth and development. He said that their dedication, hard work and collective efforts had played an important role in transforming the College into a premier centre of higher learning in horticulture and forestry.
As part of Vanmahotsav-2026, around 120 saplings of different tree species, including Tooni, Malabar Neem, Arjun, Lasura, Harar, Aonla and Drumstick, were planted across the Forestry Farm. Around 100 faculty members, staff and students of the College enthusiastically participated in the plantation drive. On the occasion, the Department of Fruit Science also organised a special avocado plantation drive. Around 40 avocado plants of different varieties were planted with active participation from students and faculty members. Dr. Sharma urged the students to take responsibility for the plants planted by them and ensure their proper care and maintenance throughout their degree programme. He emphasised that nurturing the plants would provide students with practical experience in orchard management while also contributing to environmental conservation.
The College of Horticulture and Forestry, Neri, was established as the third constituent college of Dr YS. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Neri, Hamirpur. The College traces its roots to the Regional Horticultural and Forestry Research Station, Bhota, established on October 29, 1999. The research station was upgraded to the Institute of Biotechnology and Environmental Science on April 19, 2011, with a mandate to provide undergraduate education in horticulture and biotechnology, leading to B.Sc. (Hons.) Horticulture and B.Sc. (Hons.) Biotechnology degrees. On August 28, 2014, the Institute was upgraded to the College of Horticulture and Forestry, Neri, with the addition of the undergraduate programme in B.Sc. (Hons.) Forestry. From the academic session 2017-18, postgraduate programmes in nine disciplines were introduced to strengthen research and development activities at the College. The B Tech (Food Technology) programme was subsequently introduced from the academic session 2023-24.
At present, the College offers undergraduate programmes in B.Sc. (Hons.) Horticulture, Forestry, B Tech Biotechnology and Food Technology. The College also offers M Sc programmes in 15 disciplines and PhD programmes in seven disciplines.
Since its inception, 639 undergraduate students, 347 students of Master’s programmes and five Ph.D. scholars have completed their degrees from the College. The achievements of its students have further enhanced the academic reputation of the College. Many alumni have excelled in competitive examinations and pursued higher education at reputed institutions in India and abroad, including McGill University, Canada; IIT Bombay; IIT Mandi; Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi; and IARI, New Delhi.
