PAU VC Gets Lifetime Achievement Award

Ludhiana, February 8, 2016: An eminent agricultural scientist, Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has been conferred with the prestigious “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Punjab Academy of Sciences during 19th Punjab Science Congress held on February 7, 2016 at SUS Institute of Engineering and Technology, Tangori.

Dr Dhillon, an internationally known Plant Breeder and Geneticist, has served in India and abroad in various capacities such as Director of National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources; Assistant Director General (Food Crops), ICAR; Director of Research at PAU, Ludhiana and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar; Associate Scientist at International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Mexico, and Scientist at University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.

He is a recipient of German Academic Exchange (DAAD) Fellowship, Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship and Alexander von Humboldt Europe Fellowship, under which he worked in Germany and UK.

Dr Dhillon is known for his meticulous planning and hard work. As Vice Chancellor and Director of Research, his major focus has been on judicious use of natural resources, integration of biotechnology with crop improvement, food processing, crop residue management and raising financial resources. The most outstanding contributions of the university during last four years are development of high yielding, early maturing varieties of rice, Less Seeded Kinnow and bio-fertilizers, and modification of Happy Seeder. He has inked many national and international pacts for student-faculty exchange, collaborative research and commercialization of technologies. Not only this, PAU has also developed/strengthened linkages with the industry, particularly that of seed, food processing and farm machinery.

Under his stewardship, PAU was conferred with Agriculture Leadership Award 2015 for its contribution to agriculture.

Dr Dhillon has also been recognized with several awards and honours such as Dr B.P. Pal Memorial Award by National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) (Apex Award of NAAS for Excellence in Agricultural Sciences), Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Memorial Prize by ICAR; J.C. Bose Fellowship by DST; NAAS Recognition Award, Om Parkash Bhasin Award for Science and Technology, Joginder Singh Memorial Award, Dr Harbhajan Singh Memorial Award, ICAR Gold Medal and many others.

He is also Fellow of a number of academies/professional societies including Punjab Academy of Sciences (FPAS), Indian National Science Academy (FNA), National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (FNAAS), and National Academy of Sciences, India (FNASc).