PAU PLAYED ROLE IN ADDRESSING NATIONAL FOOD SHORTAGE AND ALLEVIATING HUNGER-UAS BOARD MEMBERS

LUDHIANA, APRIL 26:--



An 8-member, Board of Management of University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore team, comprising Mr. D.V. Ramesh, Mrs. Nafis Fathima, Dr. R. Prasanna Kumar, Mr. K. Basavakumar, Mr. K. Nagaraja, Mr. H. Shivappa, Mr. B. C. Arvind visited Punjab Agricultural University today. In an interactive meeting with the Registrar, Dr. R.K. Mahey, Technical Advisor to Vice Chancellor, Dr. P.K. Khanna, Director of Extension Education, Dr. M.S. Gill, Dean College of Agriculture, Dr. D. S. Cheema, Dean College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dr. P.P.S. Lubana, Dean College of Home Science, Dr. Neelam Grewal, Dean College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, Dr. R.S. Sidhu and Additional Director Communication, Dr. Jagtar Singh Dhiman, the visitors discussed various research, teaching and extension education activities of PAU alongwith its international linkages. They described PAU as a premier farm university of India that has played a significant role in removing the food shortage and alleviating hunger from the country.



The Registrar, Dr. R.K. Mahey while presenting an overview of PAU highlighted that the university lays focus on research and technology transfer in the area of resource conservation technology, integrated pest management, and sustainability of agriculture. He shared that university spends 63% of its budget towards research which is operated through 263 national and international research projects including 45 of ICAR. Human Resource Development is a vital activity at PAU, said Dr. Mahey adding that under 25 MoUs inked with different reputed foreign universities, research and human resource development are receiving a due focus. The university is alive to emerging concerns of climate change, sustainability of agriculture and reprioritizes its programmes accordingly. He shared that recently focus on biotechnology, nano-technology, pesticides residue analysis and management of crop residue is being laid.



Mrs. Fathima and Dr. Kumar wanted to know about the pace of agricultural diversification in Punjab. Dr. M.S. Gill, Director of Extension Education said that vegetables, sugarcane and cotton have a role in diversification and rice and paddy are the main stay crops owing to the provision of procurement at MSP. Responding to a query on the plateauing growth rate of Punjab agriculture, Dr. R.S. Sidhu, Dean College of Basic Science and Humanities suggested that shift to high value crops, technology of natural resource management and agro-processing, dairy sector and allied ventures are some of the viable options for sustaining the growth rate.



Mr. Arvind, the farmer member of the board wanted to know about the mechanization of farming and the potential of organic production systems in Punjab Agriculture that the participating officers responded to.



Dr. Jagtar Singh Dhiman, Additional Director Communication, explained that the PAU is observing its Golden Jubilee Year-2012 and shared the specific programmes slated for it. He also highlighted the PAU outreach mechanism to farmers. The visitors were presented with dockets of information about PAU.

PHOTO CAPTION: A DELEGATION OF BOARD OF MEMBERS OF UAS BANGLORE ON A VISIT TO PAU
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