Dr Gill is Dean of PAU’s College of Horticulture

Dr Rishi Indra Singh Gill has been appointed as Dean of the College of Horticulture and Forestry at Punjab Agricultural University, here. A distinguished agroforestry expert, Dr Gill brings over 30 years of rich academic, research and administrative experience to the role. His international academic background, particularly PhD from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, under the prestigious Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship, adds significant strength to his profile.

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Dr Gill holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forestry from the PAU, earned in 1990 and 1992, respectively. He began his career at the university in 1993 as an assistant professor of forestry. After completing doctoral studies in Canada, he returned to the PAU and steadily advanced through the academic ranks. In 2003, he took charge of the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Agroforestry and was promoted to Principal Scientist in 2009.

Renowned for his research in agroforestry, Dr Gill has contributed 22 significant recommendations, including improved clones of poplar and eucalyptus and new technologies, now part of PAU’s official ‘Package of Practices’. He has led 13 funded research projects and published over 70 research papers and 18 book chapters. His academic involvement includes teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in forestry, biotechnology and environment and guiding 16 postgraduate students.

Dr Gill’s administrative experience is equally impressive. He served as the Head of the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources for four years, was technical advisor to the Vice-Chancellor for eight years and is currently the Estate Officer. He participated in the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s Leadership for Academicians Programme (LeAP), gaining exposure at both University of Hyderabad and Monash University, Australia. His global academic interactions span Canada, the US, Australia, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore and France.