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Ludhiana: Agri varsity vice-chancellor Satbir Gosal’s tenure ends
Among the projects still pending are road widening, renovation of guest houses and hostels, and the inauguration of the School of Digital Innovation for Smart Agriculture and the Centre for Plant Tissue Culture and Acclimatisation
Satbir Singh Gosal ends his four-year tenure as vice-chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Tuesday with a mixed project scorecard: the university has made gains in rankings, research and infrastructure, but several projects launched during his tenure remain incomplete.
Among the projects still pending are road widening, renovation of guest houses and hostels, and the inauguration of the School of Digital Innovation for Smart Agriculture and the Centre for Plant Tissue Culture and Acclimatisation. The library upgradation work, under which its capacity is being doubled, is expected to take another three months.
“All these projects were started during my tenure, but a few are still pending and a few are just waiting to be inaugurated,” Gosal said. He added that he would now take some time off to enjoy his personal life.
Gosal took charge as vice-chancellor on August 19, 2022. During his tenure, PAU retained the top position among 75 agricultural universities in the country in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings in 2023, 2024 and 2025. The university also entered the world’s top 100 agricultural universities, received the Academic Leadership Award 2026 and secured an A+ grade from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Its inclusion in the BRICS Network of Universities also expanded academic collaboration.
Infrastructure and research received a major push during Gosal’s tenure, with the Punjab government providing an annual capital grant of ₹30 crore. The funds were used for laboratories, hostels, the library, machinery, seed farms and the Gene Bank. PAU also purchased 50 new tractors and other machinery.
The university also established a speed breeding facility, technology park and pilot training centre for drones. Sixty-five crop varieties and hybrids were recommended for Punjab, while wheat varieties PBW 826 and PBW 872 received national recognition.
Seed production rose from 45,000 quintals in 2022-23 to 72,000 quintals in 2024-25. The university also undertook the clean and green drive, under which the students’ home area was developed with a walking zone, landscaping, an open-air theatre and cafeterias.
Gosal, who holds a BSc degree from Panjab University, Chandigarh, and MSc and PhD degrees in plant breeding from PAU, undertook postdoctoral research at the University of Nottingham and John Innes Centre, Norwich. He also received training in crop biosafety in the US.
Before becoming vice-chancellor, Gosal served as PAU’s director of research, additional director research, founder director of the School of Agricultural Biotechnology and head of the department of biotechnology. His honours include a Royal Society London bursary, Rockefeller Foundation fellowships and a lifetime achievement award from the Punjab Academy of Sciences.
His research record includes 207 papers and 12 books, besides guiding 77 scholars.
