Punjab Agricultural University

About Punjab Agricultural University

The Punjab Agricultural University was established in 1962 to serve the state of erstwhile Punjab. Upon splitting of Punjab in November 1966, Haryana Agricultural University was carved out of PAU by an Act of Parliament in February 1970. Later, in July 1970, Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidalya was established. In 2006 the College of Veterinary Science was upgraded to become Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University (GADVASU) at Ludhiana. The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) is located in Ludhiana city (Punjab State) in north-west India at a distance of 316 km from New Delhi. It is well connected by road and rail with the national capital. It is based in Ludhiana - Ferozepur Road. Modeled on the pattern of land grant colleges in U.S.A., the PAU performs the integrated functions of teaching, research and extension in agriculture, agricultural engineering, home science and allied disciplines. The University has well equipped laboratories, library and lecture rooms and elaborate farm facilities.

Infrastructure

The PAU has played a key role in increasing food grain production in the Punjab State several folds share its reputation and ushering in an era of Green Revolution in India. It has also made notable contributions in increasing livestock and poultry production. In recognition of its outstanding achievements in agricultural research, education and extension, it was adjudged the Best Agricultural University in India in 1995.

The Punjab Agricultural University has four constituent colleges, viz. College of Agriculture, College of Agricultural Engineering, College of Home science and College of Basic Sciences & Humanities. The course curricula are constantly revised and restructured to keep pace with the latest developments in agriculture and allied fields.The university has elaborate physical facilities in terms of building laboratories, lecture rooms, instructional and research farms, modern instrument farm machinery, transport and library facilities.

Departments in College of Agriculture

1. Agronomy
   
2. Entomology
   
3. Extension Education
   
4. Floriculture & Landscaping
   
5. Food Science & Technology
   
6. Forestry & Natural Resources
   
7. Horticulture
   
8. Plant Breeding & Genetics
   
9. Plant Pathology
   
10. Soils
    
11. Vegetable Crops
    
12. Agricultural Meteorology
    
13. School of Agril. Biotechnology

Facilities and Campus

The university campus is spread over an area of 1510 acres and has approximately 4615 acres of land on outlying different regional stations, research substations and seed farms located under 6 different agro-climatic zones of the state.

Trainees’ Hostel - Trainees’ hostel has well furnished air conditioned rooms and attached bathroom. Hostel accommodation is available in the university hostels for single students. Married students, if accompanied by their family members, will have to find accommodation outside the campus.

Plant Clinic - PAU houses a Plant Clinic Park with 4 acres of land.

M.S. Randhawa Library - Punjab Agricultural University Library was established with a meager collection of 200 books in 1959 in College of Agriculture. However, at present this great temple of learning with its beautiful five storey building, centrally air-conditioned and surrounded by lush green lawns, dotted with beautiful ornamental trees and pollution free environment has grown into one of the best libraries of the region – a place of pilgrimage for scholars and faculty members from all over the country. The Mohinder Singh Randhawa Library is primarily intended for the staff and students of the Punjab Agricultural University, who can make use of the library collections, facilities and services The motto of the library is that no bonafide user is allowed to be starved of its rich resources and to extend the benefit of information technology through automation and networking.

Electron Microscopy & Nanoscience Laboratory - Electron Microscopy & Nanoscience Laboratory (EMN Lab) established with special grant from ICAR in College of Agriculture of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana is the first state-of-the-art facility in Punjab with installation of several latest equipments for high resolution imaging, which is highly useful for research in agriculture, basic, biological and biomedical, chemical and material sciences and also for industrial research. Research with these equipments will promote our understanding of cellular and molecular properties, and mechanisms and interactions in relation to abiotic and biotic stresses in crop plants. This knowledge would help us to resolve various problems for improving agricultural production. Understanding of physical and molecular interactions of various pathogens, parasites and pests with host plants will help to resolve many problems associated with crop production.

Nanotechnology has emerged as one of the most innovative scientific field with immense commercial potential and is highly relevant to our future agriculture. EMN Lab facility of imaging particles as small as 1 nanometer (1 billionth of a meter) would enable scientists to develop nanotechnologies relevant to agriculture and food systems, animal and human health, and material and industrial products.

Uppal Museum - The Uppal Museum of Land, water and power resources of North Western India and adjacent countries was built in 1986 under the leadership of Dr. H.L.Uppal. It provides an opportunity to appreciate our natural resources. The Uppal Museum shows physiographical features of north western India in two different models, i.e. outdoor and indoor models. The Outdoor model is built-up of cement-concrete mixture showing hilly tract of Himalaya and courses of important rivers such as the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. The Indoor Model is on small scale (1:100,000)depicting a relatively large area about 760,000 sq.km. The model is made perfectly on scale (Vertical as well as horizontal scales) covering several states of north-west India including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttranchal and parts of Rajasthan and Western Uttar Pradesh. Heights of physical features on the model have been marked to different colors using enamel paints. There is proper lighting arrangement (florescent tubes, floodlight, neon light) for depicting the different features of the model. The museum has been built up with a view to demonstrate the physiographical diversity and available land and water resources of North West India so that these resources can be exploted and managed with proper planning. The Museum acts as tool to students, researchers, and planners to understand the potential and limitation of our natural resources.

Other Facilities

Video Conferencing - PAU has video-conference facilities available at Punjab Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute on its campus. This state-of-the art facility was inaugurated by the President of India A.P.J. Abdula Kalam in September, 2003, when he interacted with the faculty of National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Hyderabad.

Sports - The university has a very strong reputation in sports and it & its alumni have won many awards for excellence in sport. The university has facilities for basketball, badminton, cycling, cricket, field hockey, football, gymnastics, handball, volleyball, lawn tennis, swimming, table tennis, weight lifting and Kabbadi. There is also a cycling velodrome, an astroturf field for hockey, and a stadium for various sports.

Students Home - The Students’ Home Building developed as a full fledged central hub of activities for the students of PAU was inaugurated by former Vice-Chancellor of PAU Late Dr M.S. Randhawa on 15th August, 1971. The primary objective of Students’ Home is to utilize the spare time of the students in the best possible manner by providing various facilities for their knowledge, comfort and relaxation.

The building of Students’ Home consists of a large glazed reading room with comfortable sofas and tables for the seating arrangement and racks for latest magazines and newspapers in English, Punjabi and Hindi. It has an Auditorium with seating capacity of 150 persons for organizing functions, seminars and parties of students and staff members. Art Exhibitions are also being arranged for students and staff from time to time. Two canteens cater to the needs of students, staff members and their guests by providing them tea, coffee, cold drinks, sweets and snacks at reasonable rates. Stationery items, PCO facility and photo stat machine are also provided within the complex. A free of cost internet facility is also available for the students.

Medical facility - The University provides free medical facility to its bonafide students. The office of Director Students’ Welfare issues medical files to the bonafide students of the University through Welfare Officer for their treatment in the PAU Hospital. The bus, railway and air travel concessions and stickers for their two wheelers i.e. motor cycles, scooters, mopeds etc to ensure entry in to PAU campus are also issued to the bonafide students of the university.

PAU Counselling & Placement Centre - For employing graduate students.

Extra Curricular Activities

Culture activities - Numerous international and Punjabi culture festivities have been staged at the university.There is an open air theatre for holding cultural activities and a student community center for the conduct of miscellaneous extracurricular activities.

Achievements

It has been acclaimed as Best Agricultural University in Asia. PAU has achieved distinguished status at the national and international level. It has played a unique role in ushering in the green revolution in India.