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Ludhiana: Buoyed, PAU V-C vows to uphold excellence
Outperforming others, PAU secured the first position in the state agricultural universities category; it secured the third rank in the overall agricultural institutions category, which encompasses agriculture and allied sectors
Chuffed over emerging as the leading state agricultural university among 63 institutions across India in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2023, vice- chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal on Tuesday outlined his vision for the future with varsity’s focus on a number of initiatives, including developing climate-resilient crops, biofortification and trait-specific crop development.
Outperforming others, PAU secured the first position in the state agricultural universities category. Additionally, it secured the third rank in the overall agricultural institutions category, which encompasses agriculture and allied sectors.
The Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi and the National Dairy Research Institute in Karnal secured the first and second positions in this category, respectively.
Expressing his delight at PAU’s outstanding achievement, vice-chancellor Gosal emphasised that this accomplishment reaffirms the university’s commitment to becoming a globally recognised leader in agricultural research and education.
During a press conference, the vice-chancellor outlined his vision for the future, highlighting the university’s focus on developing climate-resilient crops, biofortification, trait-specific crop development, gene cloning and editing, speed breeding, conservation agriculture, crop residue management, surface seeding of wheat, and innovative farm mechanisation.
He also emphasised the university’s efforts to ensure a clean and green campus, strengthen collaborations with national and international institutions, particularly the G-20 countries.
The V-C said that in the coming days, the university will undergo a major overhaul, bringing the institution at par with international institutions. He said that university will witness expansion of green cover and modernity upgrade with dedicated information and technology cell.
“To uphold the achievement, PAU will strengthen several key areas, most prominent of them being digitisation and centralisation of the data. PAU is coming up with the post of associate director of information and technology, a dedicated IT cell that will help us connect better with universities abroad. Digitisation will also help us achieve paperless offices and create centralised data bank for all the research work done here,” he added.
Congratulating the PAU community, the vice-chancellor attributed this remarkable success to the dedicated efforts of faculty and students, invaluable contributions from staff, and unwavering support from alumni worldwide.
Gosal expressed his wish to serve the farming community and the nation, assuring that PAU would continue taking necessary measures to establish itself as a nationally significant and globally acclaimed institution.
PK Chhuneja, dean of post graduate studies, who received the certificate and trophy on behalf of the university, said that this recognition validates PAU’s commitment to providing top-notch education, conducting cutting-edge research, and implementing impactful outreach programs that benefit the state’s agriculture. He emphasised their determination to maintain high standards of excellence and make meaningful contributions to the nation’s progress.
Notably, the NIRF evaluates higher education institutions in India based on various parameters, including teaching, learning resources, research, graduation outcomes, outreach, inclusivity, and perception. A total of 8,686 applications were submitted this year from higher education institutions across different categories and domains.
