MSc student bags full scholarship to pursue PhD

Ludhiana: Gagandeep Singh Brar, an MSc student at the department of entomology, has brought laurels to the university by bagging full scholarship for pursuing PhD at the Colorado State University, US. Pardeep Kumar Chhuneja, head of Department of Entomology, said Gagandeep would work on two serious viral diseases in sugar beet, rhizomnia and beet curly top. His research would involve RNA-Seq experiments to analyse insect genes that underlie the molecular basis of beet leafhopper interaction as well as identification and validation of host factors to be used as targets with CRISPR/Cas9 system for development of virus resistance in sugar beet. He would also receive research assistantship of US $23,000 per annum and health insurance throughout his PhD, he added. Gagandeep had recently completed his MSc in entomology, during which he worked on ‘structural and functional characterisation of double sex (\dsx\) gene in cotton whitefly’ under the guidance of Satnam Singh at PAU regional research station, Faridkot. Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor; GK Sangha, dean of postgraduate studies; and SS Kukal, dean, College of Agriculture, PAU, congratulated him and his adviser for this achievement.

Student felicitated with Young Engineer Award

Apoorv Prakash, assistant production engineer at the department of farm machinery and power engineering, PAU, has been felicitated with the prestigious “IEI Young Engineers Award” by Biplab Kumar Deb, Chief Minister, Tripura, during the 33rd National Convention of Agricultural Engineers and National Conference on “commercial crops processing and value addition”. The programme was organised by the Institution of Engineers (India) (IEI) at Pragna Bhawan, Agartala, Tripura, on August 10 and 11. Apoorv was awarded in recognition of his contribution to agricultural engineering. Pranajit Singha Roy, Minister of Agriculture, Tripura; M Chowde Gowda, FIE, chairman, Agricultural Engineering Division Board, IEI; and other officials of the IEI were also present on the occasion. The IEI has instituted the IEI Young Engineers Award with a view to promote pursuit of excellence in the field of engineering. The award comprises a plaque and certificate. The purpose of the award is to recognise outstanding achievements/contributions made by young engineers in engineering research, and excellence in engineering technology development and technology transfer. Baldev Singh Dhillon, GK Sangha; Ashok Kumar, dean, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology; and Manjeet Singh, head of the Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, congratulated Apoorv for his achievement and wished him success in future. TNS