The Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) is an autonomous institution located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, operating under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.
The institute was founded by Professor Birbal Sahni, FRS, and was initially established as the 'Institute of Palaeobotany' on September 10, 1946, with the core objective of developing palaeobotany to address issues like the origin and evolution of plant life and the exploration of fossil fuels. The institute was registered as a separate body on July 9, 1969, and has since functioned as an autonomous research organization funded by the DST.
BSIP works by conducting multidisciplinary research in palaeosciences, integrating disciplines like palaeobotany, geology, palaeontology, geochemistry, and palaeogenomics. It utilizes advanced facilities, including the country's only national radiocarbon dating laboratory, and modern equipment like the TL/OSL system for precise dating of archaeological artifacts and Quaternary sediments. The research focuses on reconstructing past climate, palaeo-biodiversity, and palaeo-environments, with applications in areas like the exploration of oil and coal.
The institute is academically affiliated with the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) and publishes the scientific journal, the Journal of Palaeosciences, formerly known as The Palaeobotanist. A significant change occurred in 2017 when the mandate was expanded from a focus on palaeobotany to the broader field of palaeosciences, leading to the name change from Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany to its current name. This expansion was intended to combine the study of past plant relics with other science disciplines to address issues like the origin of life and human history.