Governor confers gold medals on meritorious students

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, who presided over the 14th convocation of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, on Wednesday said the convocation signified academic accomplishment as well as a renewed responsibility towards farmers, society and the nation.

He conferred 12 gold medals on meritorious students, including nine girl students, besides 518 merit certificates and 855 degrees in horticulture and forestry disciplines. Shukla appreciated the university’s initiatives in promoting high-value crops and its efforts to encourage natural farming while reducing chemical dependence.

The university’s research output, including 334 research publications, 10 patents and 11 national and international MoUs also won the Governor’s appreciation.

Referring to his statewide anti-drug campaign, Shukla called upon the youth to actively participate in building a drug-free Himachal. Urging graduates to uphold ethics, compassion, and responsibility, the Governor encouraged them to become innovators, entrepreneurs and vital contributors to the economic advancement of the farming community.

Dr Sanjay Kumar, Chairman of the Agricultural Scientist Selection Board, said, “It is a celebration of learning, scientific inquiry, field experience and the spirit of service inherent in horticulture, forestry and allied sciences.”

He said the new generation would shape India’s future by creating value-added products spanning horticulture, floriculture, agroforestry, biofuels, nutraceuticals and bioplastics.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Rajeshwar Chandel highlighted the university’s achievements, including its 20th position among agricultural universities, and its placement in the 101–150 band in the university category and 151–200 band in the overall category in the National Institutional Ranking Framework 2025. In the Indian Institutional Ranking Framework, the university ranked 11th in the Agriculture category.