PAU alumni walk down memory lane

Tribune News Service

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Ludhiana, March 3

The 54th annual meet of Alumni Association of College of Agriculture, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), concluded at the university today.

Alumni from India, Australia, Canada, Mexico and USA participated in the meet that started yesterday.

Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, informed the alumni about PAU’s accomplishments and new initiatives to be taken by the university. He said: “The alumni meets are interesting and make one feel young.”

Dr NS Malhi, former VC Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo, chaired the concluding session. On the second day, Dr Navtej Bains, senior plant breeder, delivered a talk on “Crop Improvement,” while Dr SS Kukal, Additional Director of Research (Natural Resource and Plant Health Management), PAU, spoke on “Natural Resource Management”.

Dr GS Manes, former head, department of farm machinery and power engineering, gave a presentation on “Achievements and Challenges of Farm Mechanisation in Punjab”, while Dr Amarjeet Kaur, head, department of food science and technology, PAU, spoke on “Status of Food Processing in Punjab.”

Dr HS Dhaliwal, Dean, College of Agriculture, and President, Alumni Association, said the two-day meet saw poetic symposium, lectures, sports events, honouring of alumni and outstanding students and cultural programme by PAU students.

Dr PK Chhuneja, Secretary of Alumni Association and professor of entomology, said new office-bearers and Executive Committee of the Alumni Association of College of Agriculture was elected for the year 2017-18.

Veteran agricultural scientists from across India and abroad had gathered at PAU yesterday to attend the first day of the annual meet. The inaugural session of the meet was chaired by the oldest alumni Dr DR Bhumbla, former VC, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar.

Besides, agricultural stalwarts namely Dr GS Kalkat, Chairman, Punjab State Farmers’ Commission; Dr SS Johl, Chancellor, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda; Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU; and Dr AS Nanda, Vice-Chancellor, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), graced the occasion. Dr AS Khehra and Dr MS Kang, former PAU VCs, also attended the meet.

Dr Bhumbla said along with fertiliser and irrigation, thresher equally played a vital role during the Green Revolution. He said the alumni meet provided a platform to recollect lively moments.

Sharing his own experience, Dr Kalkat said PAU had played an important role in technology development and agricultural education and training.

“Along with technology development, the government must take steps for the adoption of technology by farmers,” he said. Dr Kalkat also lauded Dr Bhumbla’s significant contribution to agriculture in Punjab and India.

Dr Johl called the gathering of scientists as ‘cream of intellectuals’ and exhorted them to come out and speak. He also recited the poetry, sent via e-mail by PAU alumnus Hafiz Abdul Qayyum from Pakistan.

Dr Dhillon said the alumni meet refreshes past memories and familiarises the old people with the development of alma-mater and well-being of each other. Dr Dhillon said: “As per recent e-mail received from Dr AH Prakash, project coordinator (cotton), three Bt entries namely — PAU 1, F1861 and RS 2013 — have been approved by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) during 2016-17.”

He said the university had been successful in developing early maturing paddy varieties, managing whitefly in cotton and managing paddy straw in Punjab.

Dr Nanda said: “GADVASU is a part of PAU. It has made immense contribution to the animal sciences at the national level.” Earlier, Dr HS Dhaliwal, Dean, College of Agriculture, welcomed the dignitaries and the alumni. He said PAU had produced 48 VCs of various universities, 73 NAAS (National Academy of Agricultural Sciences) fellows, and six national professors. Dr PK Chhuneja, secretary of Alumni Association, conducted the programme.

RS Athwal, an NRI from USA, gave a presentation on the outstanding contribution of a renowned scientist, Dr DS Athwal and other agricultural scientists in heralding the Green Revolution and in making the country self-sufficient in food grains.

Sukhdev Singh, PAU alumnus from Canada, said the agriculture profession should be looked at with dignity for it serves and feeds the nation.

Those honoured

• PAU alumni were honoured for working and retiring from prestigious positions. These include Brigadier TS Sandhu; former Brigadier Jagjit Singh; and Yurinder Singh Hayer, DIG, Bathinda. Another PAU alumnus, MA Matthew, Rubber Board, Kerala, was also honoured.
• Besides, Dr Balwinder Singh, former Director of Research, PAU; Dr WS Dhillon, former Director of Punjab Horticultural Post-Harvest Technology Centre; Dr PK Mehta, former Dean, College of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology; and Dr Ashwini Kumar, Dean, Postgraduate Studies, Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, were honoured. 
• In addition, Dr JS Dhiman, former Additional Director of Research (Natural Resource and Plant Health Management), PAU; Dr SS Kukal, present Additional Director of Research (Natural Resource and Plant Health Management), PAU; Dr TS Dhillon, director (seeds), PAU; and Dr Gursharan Singh, former Dean, postgraduate studies, were felicitated.
• During the meet, Dr MS Aulakh, former VC, Manyawar Kanshiramji University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda, Uttar Pradesh; Dr TS Thind, former Additional Director of Research, PAU; Dr Ranjit Singh, former Additional Director Communication, PAU; and Dr Parminder Singh from GADVASU were also honoured. 
• Dr GS Makkar and Dr Surichi Jindal, PAU scientists, were felicitated for winning Young Scientists Awards.
• PAU scientists working under the All-India Coordinated Research Projects (AICRP) on weed management, honey bee and agro-meteorology were felicitated for bagging awards at the national level. 
• Two teams of PAU scientists, who were conferred with GS Khush Award recently, were also honoured for excellence in transfer of technology.
• Those who retired from PAU, GADVASU and line departments; and NRIs, too,  were honoured. 
• PAU students were also felicitated for excellence in academics.