Agri varsity olericulturist in Stanford’s list of world’s top 2% scientists

Dr Rajinder Kumar Dhall, Principal Olericulturist, Department of Vegetable Science, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has been ranked among the top two per cent of the world’s best scientists in Stanford University’s prestigious list for 2024.

He is the first scientist from the College of Horticulture and Forestry to have received the prestigious recognition. The Stanford annual ranking is highly regarded in the global academic community and highlights scientists based on the impact of their research, citation index and other key academic metrics.

The ranking evaluates scientists who are top-cited in their respective fields and have published multiple highly cited papers. Dr Dhall has published more than 125 research papers in national and international journals.

He is a recipient of Hans Raj Pahwa Award for Research Contribution in Horticulture for the biennial 2016-17 from PAU, Ludhiana; Fellow Award from the Indian Society of Vegetable Science, Varanasi in 2021; and Fellow Award from the Society of Plant Research, Greater Noida in 2025. He has also acted as international reviewer of more than 120 research papers (verified by Clarivate Analytics recognition); Editorial Board Member of journal “BMC Plant Biology” and as an expert for Plant Germplasm Registration by NBPGR, New Delhi for more than 80 accessions.