Established in the year 2005/06 as the Centre for Biological Timekeeping (CBT) by Professor Vinod Kumar under the aegis of IRHPA (Intensification of Research in High Priority Area) research program funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India, the center’s component research laboratories were at the University of Delhi and University of Lucknow. Both, these research laboratories closely worked for almost a decade and half and made significant contributions. After the conclusion of IRHPA research funding in the year 2013, the center’s PIs became a part of a 5-year multi-institutional mega research grant support from the Department of Biotechnology to continue their research on physiology of migration, with Prof. Kumar as Principal leader. Both laboratories maintained their independent character and received fundings through ad-hoc major research grant supports from different national and international agencies, viz., the University Grants Commission of India (UGC), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India, Department of Science and Technology, Science and Engineering Research Board, IndoUS Science and Technology Forums, Department of Science and Technology – German Academic Exchange Service (DST-DAAD), UGC Basic Science Research, and Indian National Science Academy Senior Scientist programs.

The long-term research goal of the CBT has been centered on deciphering the mechanism(s) underlying daily and seasonal timekeeping in migratory and resident Passeriformes species of birds using multiple experimental approaches in a laboratory setup. Alongside, CBT was seriously engaged also in (i) capacity building programs aimed at young researchers in the form of 2-week intense schools in Chronobiology, (ii) discussion platforms to young and experienced research in form of national and international workshop and conferences, (iii) outreach programs for school students, and (iv) training individual PIs, PhDs and Post-docs.

The CBT lost its original character with the retirement and departure of Professors Vinod Kumar and Sangeeta Rani from the Universities of Delhi and Lucknow in 2024 and 2025, respectively. However, with the award of 5-year Prime Minister Professorship to Vinod Kumar, the CBT had found an opportunity to reestablish and extend its reach to related but a new ecosystem which provides an opportunity for leveraging expertise for both lab and field research on birds. Hence, the CBT is now being recast as the “Center for Biological Timekeeping and Climate Adaptation (CBTCA)” at the Central University of South Bihar, Gaya ji. The core membership of this center now lies with two PIs, Vinod Kumar (Prime Minister Professor), and Ram Pratap Singh (Professor, Department of Life science).