PAU Round-Up

Ludhiana, November 18, 2019: TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR INCUBATEES CONCLUDES AT PAU: After the two-months training of incubatees under Agripreneurship Orientation Programme (Uddam) and Agribusiness Incubation Programme (Udaan), the concluding ceremony and second RIC meeting were held at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in which a total of 18 trainees presented their start-ups in front of RIC committee headed by Dr JS Mahal, Director of Extension Education, PAU and Principal Investigator of Punjab Agri Business Incubator (PABI). Other RIC members included Mr Parveen Bhatia, DDM, NABARD; Dr Poonam A Sachdev, Head, Department of Food Science and Technology; Mr Manjit Singh, CEO, Bonn Breads; Mr Satyendra Singh Choudhary, Knowledge Partner, PUSA Krishi Incubator, Indian Agricultural Research Institute; Dr Baldev Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, Ludhiana; and Dr Pratibha Goyal, Director, School of Business Studies. The Co-Principal Investigators of the PABI, Dr TS Riar, Associate Director, Skill Development; Dr Vishal Bector, Associate Professor, Farm Machinery and Power Engineering; Dr Lavleesh Garg, Assistant Professor, Extension Education; and Dr Mohit Gupta, Assistant Professor, School of Business Studies also attended the session.
Dr Mahal delivered his inaugural address.
Dr Riar and Dr Sachdev welcomed the dignitaries and the trainees.
Later, certificates were distributed among the trainees. After the presentations by the incubatees, Dr RS Sidhu, Registrar, PAU congratulated the incubatees and the team of PABI, for the successful completion of the first training programme.

PAU GETS BEST ORGANIC FARMING CENTRE AWARD
Ludhiana: The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Centre of ‘All India Network Programme on Organic Farming’ has been awarded the “Best Centre Award” for the year 2018-19 during the Annual Group Meeting, held at Port Blair from November 12-14, 2019. The All India Network Programme has 20 centres in 16 states and is aimed at developing and disseminating production and protection technologies for organic and natural farming. Dr BS Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor and Dr Navtej Singh Bains, Director of Research, PAU, congratulated the Principal Investigator and Director, School of Organic Farming Dr CS Aulakh and his team for this award.

WORKSHOP ON AGRICULTURE ALLIED OCCUPATIONS FOR RURAL YOUTH BY KVK, ROPAR
Ludhiana: In continuation with its endeavors to motivate rural youth to adopt agriculture allied occupations as an enterprise, KVK Ropar organized a workshop on November 14, 2019 in collaboration with Government Senior Secondary School, Ropar. The programme was organized under the dynamic leadership of Dr. G.S. Makkar, Deputy Director (Trg), KVK, Ropar in which about 70 students of class Xth & XIth standards attended this workshop in the committee room of KVK. In this programme, Dr. G.S. Makkar apprised the students about the importance of various agricultural allied occupations like beekeeping & mushroom cultivation toward self-entrepreneurship & economic growth of rural youth. Dr. Sanjeev Ahuja, Asstt. Prof. (Horticulture) discussed about methodologies and scope of mushroom cultivation & organic farming. Further, Dr. Pawan Kumar, Asstt. Prof. (Plant Pathology) elaborated various aspects of beekeeping including its export prospects. Presentations were followed by a round of group discussion, wherein students and their teachers actively participated. The workshop ended with a vote of thanks by Dr. G.S. Makkar, Deputy Director (Trg.) to Mrs. Nisha Samnhotra (Principal), Ms. Kamaljeet Kaur (Agriculture Trainer), Mrs. Sushma (SS Mistress) & S. Gurmail Singh, Security Trainer from Govt. Sr. Sec. School, Ropar.