PAU shines as top state agricultural varsity in NIRF, vows to uphold excellence

Ludhiana, June 6, 2023: Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana has clinched the coveted first position among all the 63 state agricultural universities in India in the prestigious National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2023. In the category of all agricultural institutions, which includes agriculture and allied sectors, PAU ranks third. The first and second positions in this category are held by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi and the National Dairy Research Institute in Karnal, respectively. The NIRF-2023 report specifically mentions the PAU’s pioneer role in the Green Revolution in the 1960s.

The NIRF Rankings were released yesterday at Bhim Auditorium, Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi by  Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, the Minister of State for Education and External Affairs, Government of India. Besides the Minister, Secretary Education, Chairman UGC, Chairman NBA, Chairman AICTE and Member Secretary NBA also graced the occasion.

Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal, the PAU Vice-Chancellor, expressed his delight over PAU's outstanding performance as the leading state agricultural university. According to him, this achievement reaffirms the university’s commitment to becoming a renowned global leader in agricultural research and education. Congratulating the PAU fraternity, he attributed the remarkable success to the dedicated efforts of the faculty and students, invaluable contributions of the staff, and steadfast backing from alumni worldwide. Dr. Gosal expressed eagerness to serve the farming community and the nation while assuring that PAU will continue taking necessary measures to establish itself as a domestically significant and internationally-acclaimed university.

Dr. P.K. Chhuneja, Dean Post Graduate Studies, who received the certificate and trophy on behalf of the varsity, affirmed that this recognition validates PAU's commitment to providing first-rate education, conducting leading-edge research, and maintaining impeccable outreach programs that have a substantial impact on the state's agriculture. He further emphasized that this achievement reinforces their determination to maintain high standards of excellence in all endeavors and continue making meaningful contributions to the nation's progress.

Notably, the NIRF evaluates higher education institutions in India based on several parameters that encompass teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practices, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity, and perception. Additionally, there are around 16 to 18 sub-parameters utilized to rank institutions in different categories. Overall, a total of 8,686 applications were submitted by higher education institutions this year for ranking consideration across various categories and domains.

In a Press Conference at PAU here today, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, Dr SS Gosal outlined his vision and way forward for the University, stressing that the University's prime focus lay on developing climate resilient crops, biofortification, trait-specific crop development, gene cloning and gene editing, speed breeding, conservation agriculture, crop residue management, surface seeding of wheat, and innovative farm mechanization. He also stated that PAU is working on ensuring a clean and green campus, besides strengthening institutional and industrial collaborations with national and international institutions/organizations, especially the G-20 countries. He further expressed gratitude to the State Government for its unconditional support to the University, and referred to the first ever State Agricultural Policy being framed with the consensus of the Government, PAU scientists and the farmers, which brought around a humongous positive response from the farming community.