The Centre for Biodiversity Studies (CBS) was established at Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University in 2005 as a founding component of the School of Biosciences and Biotechnology. Becoming operational in 2007, the Centre was specifically mandated to investigate the biodiversity of the local terrain and the broader Pir Panjal Himalayan range. In 2008, a comprehensive operational roadmap was developed, and two significant facilities were subsequently added: the Pir Panjal Biodiversity Park and the BGSBU Botanical Garden.

The Centre's activities are oganized into three primary domains: Research, Extension, and Environmental Education. The research agenda encompasses eight key areas: species inventorization across plants, animals, and microbes; exploration of intraspecific variation using multiple markers; species abundance estimation; life-cycle pattern studies of economically significant taxa; identification and multiplication of endemic species; conservation of rare and threatened species; assessment and containment of invasive species; and investigation of plant-animal interactions.

The extension activities address the limited penetration of scientific and technological advancements in rural areas, particularly the Rajouri-Poonch region. CBS has initiated programs to empower rural women with skills to transform local bio-resources into economic assets using laboratory-developed technologies. These efforts include organizing trained women into cooperatives, facilitating market linkages, connecting them with financial institutions, providing technical support for bio-resource enterprises, and conducting training for staff of related organizations. The Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi has approved several technologies for dissemination among rural women in Rajouri, including vermicomposting, biocrafts, medicinal plant cultivation, mushroom culturing, and floriculture.