https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The IFS Officer Who’s Discovered Many High Value Medicinal Plants of India

IFS officer Jatindra Sarma is credited with the discovery of many highly valued medicinal plants. These medicinal plants are new to science and are new additions to the list of flora of India. His book, Medicinal Plants & Mushrooms of India (Vol I & Vol II), has pictorial documentation of 1340 plants and 60 wild mushrooms.
Indian Masterminds Stories

When it comes to medicinal plants, senior IFS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, Mr. Jatindra Sarma’s passion knows no bounds. He is driven by his passion to discover more and more plants with medicinal properties. 

A passion that takes him through the dense forests and over the undulating hills of Assam and Meghalaya, where he has discovered many rare and high value medicinal plants till now and has even named a few after his family members and close friends. 

He has also written two books on this close-to-his-heart topic that has earned him worldwide acclaim. His book, Medicinal Plants & Mushrooms of India (Vol I & Vol II), is used in universities in India and abroad, including Oxford.

Indian Masterminds caught up with Mr. Jatindra Sarma in Barak Valley of Assam, where he is posted as the Chief Conservator of Forests, and asked him about his deep-rooted passion and its growth over the years.

Jatindra Sarma, IFS

BIRTH OF THE TAXONOMIST

It was Mr. Sarma’s friend and mentor, renowned taxonomist John D Mood, who fuelled his pursuits in the world of medicinal plants. Noticing Mr. Sarma’s deep interest in that field, on a visit to Assam, the American scientist told him, “The bud has come out, you have to bloom now.” 

These words spurred him on to go deeper into the world of medicinal plants. “I started frequenting forest and hills of the region in search of them. These searches resulted in the discovery of many new plants of high value, and old ones that had been considered extinct and had not been seen for nearly 100 years,” Mr. Sarma told Indian Masterminds.  

Lauding his efforts, eminent botanist from the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Science, Germany, Prof. Dr. Herbert Riepl told him, “You must document all your work, or it will be a loss to the world.” 

“This made me think, and I decided to do formal documentation of all my discoveries and related works from thereon,” Mr. Sarma revealed.

Jatindra Sarma (right) with John D Mood, American taxonomist

DISCOVERIES AND RECOGNITION

He has discovered many highly valued medicinal plants, which are new to science and new additions to the list of flora of India. He has published more than 25 scientific papers on plants. He is also the Member Secretary cum CEO of the State Medicinal Plants Board, Assam.

He has also been appointed as one of the members of the committee for formulating Operational Guidelines of Mission Medicinal Plants for Supply Chain Management under the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India. 

“Recently, I got an appreciation certificate from Wiley for top downloaded paper 2018-2019, recognised as one of the most read, for the discovery of a new taxon named Pavetta Puffii, as published in Nordic Journal of Botany, Finland,” Mr. Sarma informed. 

NAMED AFTER FAMILY AND FRIENDS

He has been credited with the discovery of important taxons, which are new to science. Taxon is a scientifically classified group or entity.

Few notable ones are Garcinia assamica, which is named after Assam. It’s an edible fruit known for controlling diarrhoea, dysentery and is anti-obesity, too. 

Carissa kopilli, named after river Kopili, as it was discovered on its bank in a remote place of Karbi Anglong district of Assam. The fruit is edible and medicinal. 

Smilax sailenii, a potential edible fruit-bearing climber, named after Late Prof Sailenii Borah of Gauhati University, who taught Botany.

Amomum pratisthana (left) named after his daughter Pratistha; Pavetta puffi (right) named after his friend Late Prof Dr Christian Puff

Some of the highly endangered plants recorded by him are new additions to the flora of India. He has named a few after his family members and close friends. 

Amomum pratisthana, named after his daughter Pratistha, is a new ginger species, medicinally important like normal ginger, leaves of which are also medicinal.

Syzygium nivae, named after his wife Niva, is a small jamun tree, its fruits edible, tasty and believed to be anti-diabetic like normal jamun.

Garcinia sibeswari, named after his father Sibeswar Sarma, is like the mangosteen. It could be developed into a normal edible fruit like thekera, and the leaves have medicinal value, too. It is under screening now and its chemical profiling being done with the help of scientists in DRL Lab, Tezpur.

Pavetta puffi is named afer his friend, Late Dr. Christia Puff, a famous taxonomist from Austrian University who had done huge work worldwide on Rubiaceae, an ornamental plant.

Syzygium nivae (left) named after his wife Niva; Garcinia sibeswarii (right) named after his father Sibeswar Sarma

PLANT REDISCOVERED AFTER 98 YEARS

Nothapodytes nimmoniana is a plant that was rediscovered by Mr. Sarma after a gap of 98 years.

Explaining about the plant’s medicinal properties, he said, “Now it has been established that a compound/alkaloid called Camptothecin is present in the plant which is used for treating ovarian and colon cancer and AIDS. This happens to be one of the costliest drugs in the world. A rare species. Only two trees have been located by me in entire Assam. Its propagation in the field is being done since 2014, and as of now, we have 60 small trees.”

Fruit of the plant, Nothapodytes nimmoniana, rediscovered after 98 years

FIRST BOOK

Mr. Sarma started exploring medicinal plants as a hobby when he was posted in Tinsukia district, “where workload was less, and I had ample free time.” 

What started as a hobby intensified into a passion when he got posted in Karbi Anglong district, where he would lose himself in the hills for long hours, going from one plant to another, his sharp eyes missing not a single detail, catching on to uniqueness, and making mental notes of rarities. 

“I stumbled upon many new discoveries there, which led to my first book, Medicinal & Aromatic Plants of Assam with Special Reference to Karbi Anglong, in 2007.”  

SECOND BOOK

His second book, Medicinal Plants & Mushrooms of India (Vol I & Vol II), encompasses medicinal use of 1500+ plants and 65+ mushrooms, all with field photographs taken by him. It was launched on 28 August, 2021 by Union Minister for AYUSH, Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal and Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“It was absolutely necessary to explore the hidden treasures of our forests and document them with their medicinal values, lest some get extinct, and target their conservation and propagation. Wild mushrooms have tremendous medicinal properties which need to be explored and harnessed for human welfare,” Mr. Sarma told Indian Masterminds.

Book Link – https://www.amazon.in/Medicinal-Plants-Mushrooms-India-Set/dp/9390658004

FOLLOWING HIS PASSION ARDENTLY

While going about discharging his official duties dedicatedly, Mr. Sarma still takes time out to follow his passion. On holidays, he would just take off on his own.

Deep inside the forests and into the hills, he would go, looking for medicinal plants. Where the stillness of nature would get broken only by the faint sound of “click, click, click”, made by his only companion – his camera. 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
Mohan Yadav
MP CM Mohan Yadav Pushes for Sustainable, Community-Driven Rural Water Policy; Targets 100% Tap Coverage by March 2027
Ajay Bhadoo IAS
IAS Ajay Bhadoo Gets Extended Term as DGFT - What It Means & His Career Journey
THDCIL_Receives_ABMS_Certification_for_Integrity_and_Transparency
THDC India (THDCIL) Awarded ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Certification by BIS - Details Inside
Ministry of Environment
Environment Ministry Clarifies Petrol Vehicle Tender, Cites E-Vehicle Flexibility
Bokaro Steel Plant
PESB Selects Priya Ranjan to Head Bokaro Steel Plant, SAIL’s Key Production Unit
REC Limited wins ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC (DNA) Awards
REC Limited Bags ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC Awards
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
IFS S Krithiga
Eco-Friendly Cottages, Tribal Cuisine, and Conservation: Inside Tamil Nadu’s Pachamalai Project
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT