Farmers Movement Archive

Now, agriculture secy Anirudh Tiwari interim in-charge of PAU

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) was buzzing with activity, a day after its vice-chancellor professor Baldev Singh Dhillon, declined the board of management’s offer to extend his tenure, citing “personal reasons”. It has been learnt that agriculture secretary Anirudh Tiwari will be in-charge of the agricultural university till a new vice-chancellor can be appointed. Dhillon, who will be remembered as the longest serving vice-chancellor, had been first appointed to the post in 2011 for four years. His term was extended for four years in 2015 and for two more years thereafter in 2019. He has served as the head of the Ludhiana-based institution for 10 years. His predecessor, Sukhdev Singh, had served as the university’s vice-chancellor from 1981 to 1989. PAU Teachers Association (PAUTA) president Dr HS Kingra says it was Dhillon’s long career, which had been the source of contention between the teachers’ union and the V-C. “Transition is the way of life. However, in Dhillon’s case, the post of vice-chancellor had become permanent. Ideally, he should have retired after completing his second term in office. In the meantime, he could have taken a prospective candidate for the post under his wing. Everybody was under tremendous pressure because of his continuing tenure from the top to the lower rungs.” The highlight of Dhillon’s stint on the top post was that he refused to bow down to political pressure and did not allow any political interference in the working of the university. The academic is an internationally acclaimed scientist in the field of plant breeding and genetic resources. He has served in PAU as director of research, director (seeds) and maize breeder; at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as assistant director general, and director, ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi; and at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, as director of research.Before he took reins of the agricultural university, he was working with the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany. He was also associate scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, (CIMMYT), Mexico.At the university, Dhillon laid special emphasis on overall development in research, teaching and extension programmes. Several varieties of paddy and wheat were developed during his tenure.Dhillon led the Joint Inter-State Campaign (Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan) that had successfully managed white fly in cotton, resulting in a bumper crop with record productivity of 756 and 750kg/hectare of lint as compared to 197 kg/hectare in 2015. He had led a vigorous campaign against paddy straw burning in 2018. He had also vocally opposed the farm laws and suggested measures to increase farm income. Dhillon has published 400 research and policy papers. He was conferred with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, in 2011.

Hindustan Times

02-07-2021

Chandigarh