Innovation, activism, resilience: PAU’s year of new highs

Punjab Agricultural University ended 2025 as India’s leading agricultural institution, delivering patents, All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) awards and new crop varieties that boosted food security and farmers’ income. In terms of technology adoption, outreach through Kisan Melas, residue drives, trainings and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) were a big hit.

However, the year also saw bouts of unrest at the campus, including a prolonged protest by students seeking recruitment, heavy police deployment preceding a staff agitation and flaring tensions. A beacon of hope in between these unrests was a student-led march that resulted in the rollback of a proposal to fell 100 trees on campus, underscoring the university’s mix of innovation, activism and resilience.

Rankings

PAU sustained its leadership in national rankings, securing the top spot among state agricultural universities in National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings for the third consecutive year. It also ranked first among state agricultural universities and second nationally in Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) 2025. Globally, PAU entered EduRank’s Top 100 agricultural institutions with 93rd rank in agricultural sciences. It was the only Indian state agricultural university in EduRank’s top 100.

Hub of academic exchange

This year, PAU emerged as a hub for academic exchange, hosting national and international conferences on maize security, plant health management, linguistics and folklore, land and water sustainability, and agro-meteorology. The university also convened meetings on emerging agri-technologies, media discourse, alumni engagement and an international symposium on digital transformation and agri-business challenges.

A helping hand in flood relief efforts

After floods brought devastation across the state, the university launched a seed support campaign and distributed 725 quintals of improved wheat seeds and five quintals of canola gobhi sarson (brassica napus) across Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Fazilka and Patiala. The faculty members and staff voluntarily contributed part of their salaries towards the flood relief efforts

PAU released 20 new varieties and hybrids across cereals, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits and ornamentals, all focused on yield, quality and stress resistance. The breakthroughs included wheat PBW 872 and PBW biscuit 1, nitrogen efficient rice PR 132, malt barley PL 942, dual-purpose maize PMH 17, fodder oat OL 17, summer mungbean SML 2575, raya hybrid PHR 127, Punjab potato 103 and 104, carrot Punjab Santri, cauliflower Punjab Maghri, brinjal PBHL 56, French beans Punjab Anand and Punjab Rangat, seedless grapefruit Flame and new chrysanthemum and gladiolus lines.

PAU hybrids Punjab Baby Corn 3, PMH 18 and PMH 19 were picked for national release under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-AICRP on Maize, and wheat varieties PBW 872 and PBW 833 topped national trials.

Infra upgrade

Backed by a Rs 20-crore grant from the Punjab Government, PAU expanded infrastructure with new agro-processing and biotechnology facilities, advanced research platforms and upgraded student amenities, including a gym, modernised hostels and swimming pool — strengthening academic capacity as well as campus wellbeing.

Improved global footprint

The university deepened its global footprint through strategic collaborations and mentoring initiatives. A total of 22 honorary visiting professors—including World Food Prize laureates Dr GS Khush, Dr Rattan Lal and Dr SK Vasal, along with leading scientists from the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and Mexico were appointed to strengthen doctoral supervision, joint research and international exposure.

In April, the PAU campus was gripped with tension as it was turned into a fortress with heavy police deployment ahead of a peaceful protest by non-teaching employees. The agitation was sparked by suspension of a staff member, allegedly under political pressure following a spat with a local Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader. The employees union called for a peaceful demonstration but police picked up several leaders from their homes and detained some on campus, leaving the university in turmoil.

A sit-in that continues

A sit-in by the Agriculture Student Association Punjab (ASAP), demanding recruitment against vacant posts in agriculture and allied departments, is nearing the 100-day mark as it continues on campus. The protesters vow to continue the agitation until written recruitment notifications are issued for several key posts. They are also demanding introduction of agriculture as a subject in schools.

Go green

On December 22, PAU students staged a peaceful “Rukh Bachao, PAU Bachao” march against proposed felling of nearly 100 trees for road widening. Calling the move a threat to the campus’s green identity and ecological balance, they urged immediate reconsideration.

The decision was rolled back after a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor, marking a victory for student activism.