The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

New PAU Registrar takes charge
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 29
The academic community of Punjab Agricultural University has got a shot in the arm with the appointment of Dr Vinod Kumar Sharma as Registrar of the university for a period of four years.

Dr Sharma is the first academician to hold this coveted post ever since the inception of the PAU in 1965. Earlier, only bureaucrats on deputation from the Punjab Government had served as Registrars of this university.

This time too the government had cleared the name of Mr Vivek Pratap, IAS, for appointment as Registrar but the move was resisted by the PAUTA, which petitioned the court.

The Registrar holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from Ohio State University, USA, and is a Doctorate in Engineering (D. Engg) from the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, with an Overall Grade Point Average of 4.00 out of 4.00.

Dr Sharma has served the PAU in various capacities from Research Assistant to Additional Director of Research (Engg). Prior to this, Dr Sharma had been holding the additional charge of the Registrar since March, 2002. He has made significant contributions in the research and development of farm machinery, which includes a paddy transplanter for which he was awarded by the National Research and Development Corporation (NRDC).

He has also developed a Vertical Conveyer for harvesting wheat and paddy, a sunflower thresher, wheel hand hoe which have been widely adopted by farmers. Several other equipment developed by him are at various stages of commercialisation.

A fellow of the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers (ISAE), Dr Sharma was honoured with a commendation and the R K Jain Memorial Award by the society. Dr Sharma has guided 18 M. Tech. and Ph.D. students.

He has been actively involved in the coordination and monitoring of Agricultural Engineering Research programmes funded by national and international agencies, including the World Bank. Dr Sharma is a widely travelled scientist and has visited USA, UK, Thailand, Philippines, in connection with his professional assignments.

The appointment of Dr Sharma as Registrar, who is very popular among the students and teachers, has resulted in widespread jubilation on the campus, Dr A S Joshi, Dr Sudesh Kumar Kapoor, president and secretary of PAUTA, and Dr H S Brar and Dr M L Gupta, former president and secretary, respectively, have welcomed the appointment of Dr Sharma.

PAU former student bags Indira Gandhi NSS Award
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 29
Sandeep Singh, a former NSS volunteer and student of the Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Punjab Agriculture University has won the Indira Gandhi National Service Scheme (NSS) Award for his achievements.

The prestigious award has been given for the first time to a PAU alumni in the history of the PAU.

Currently working as the District Extension Specialist (Entomology) at the Farm Advisory Centre, Patiala, the expert has been selected by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for the award.

According to Dr K.S. Verma, Programme Coordinator, NSS-cum-Professor of Plant Pathology, PAU, this is the first time that any PAU alumni has been selected for this prestigious national award. The award will be conferred upon Sandeep Singh at the end of September at a function to be held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

Sandeep Singh had been honoured with state level Governor of Punjab Award (1997) by the Directorate of Youth Services, Punjab. He was also declared the Best Student of PAU and awarded the Dr Dalip Singh Deep Memorial Trophy (1998). Under his leadership, the PAU team got the Overall Best University Trophy during the All India Inter Varsity workshop on AIDS awareness held at Amravati (1999).

He was also decorated with Dr M S Randhawa Medal-2001 by the Punjab Governor. He was adjudged the Best Camper at the National Integration Camp held at G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pant Nagar and is the recipient of four merit certificates in various fields.

Dr Verma further told that he had participated in three national integration camps at Shillong, Pantnagar, Nagpur, two hiking and treking camps at the Manali -Rohtang pass and Hemkunt Sahib besides one inter-varsity home stay scheme camp for national integration at Nagpur and one All-India Inter-varsity workshop on AIDS awareness at Amravati.

An enriching experience
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 29
“I am proud of being part of the convention where about 500 children from all over the world participated. I can never forget my experiences of the convention as long as I live,” said Sakshi Kapila, a student of Sacred Heart Convent here, who attended the Asian Pacific Children Convention-2002 held recently at Fukuoka in Japan.

She was one of the eight students who were selected from all over the country and the only one from Punjab to attend the workshop.

The 11-year-old girl was invited as a junior ambassador to Fukuoka.

Her selection was done on the basis of a scrap book that contained her pictures since her birth, her cerificates and detailed list of her co-curricular activities and her abilities to look after herself.

The objective of the convention was to appreciate the culture of other countries and regions, to promote mutual understanding and friendship and to nurture international awareness in youth. The event was supervised by the Fukuoka Junior Chamber, supported by the Fukuoka Prefectural Government and the Fukuoka Municipal Government, Fukuova, Japan.

“I love their mission to bring peace and happiness in the world. Children will contribute more for this noble cause under the theme—-“We are the bridge.”

“I cannot forget the two weeks which I spent there. I also got the opportunity to experience Etegami painting, Ikebana flower arrangement and learnt Japanese art.

We also took part in the sports festival and presented our cultural items and group dance, which was appreciated by all.”

“We had wonderful time staying with the Japanese host families. We went to Nanakuma School and can never forget the warm welcome given by the school students and staff. It was great fun and a good learning experience to learn Japanese language.

We witnessed the Japanese tea ceremony, which is a very holy ceremony of Japanese. We also witnessed a grand welcome party, which was hosted by residents of Nanakuma, and farewell party by the school.”

“It was a great experience to see students cleaning the school themselves, as Japanese schools don’t have sweepers. Cleanliness was all over there.”

“My participation at the convention contributed greatly to my developing confidence and self-esteem. The convention has enhanced my ability and shown me that I can do anything by myself and I feel that I can be an independent girl.”