PAU Biotechnology student bags IAUA award for outstanding PH.D. thesis research

Dr Pavneet Kaur, Ph.D. scholar at the School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has won laurels by bagging the “IAUA Award” for her outstanding Ph.D. thesis research for the year 2024 in the category of Agricultural Sciences including Agriculture Engineering. She was conferred with the award, carrying a cash of Rs 50,000/-, a certificate and a plaque, during the Indian Agricultural Universities Association (IAUA) Vice Chancellors’ Convention, held at the Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology (ANDUAT), Ayodhya on February 13 and 14

Dr Kaur is also a recipient of Dr Manjit Singh Kang medal for securing the highest OCPA (8.84) in M.Sc. Biotechnology as well as the INSPIRE Fellowship by the DST, Government of India. She is presently appointed as Project Scientist at Gurdev Singh Khush Institute of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, PAU, Ludhiana.

The IAUA instituted IAUA awards for outstanding Ph.D. thesis research, to recognize outstanding original research, to provide incentive for enhancing the quality of research and to promote high quality research in emerging priority areas. These awards are meant exclusively for Ph.D. thesis research related to Agricultural Sciences including Agriculture Engineering, Horticultural Science including Forestry, Veterinary and Animal Sciences and Dairy and Fisheries Sciences from any of the IAUA member Agricultural Universities.

Working under the supervision of Dr Kumari Neelam, Biotechnologist, her research aimed to elucidate the molecular basis of brown plant hopper (BPH) resistance in wild rice species O. nivara, providing a foundation for developing BPH-resistant rice varieties through MAS that could better withstand the challenges posed by new biotpes of BPH.

Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor of PAU, congratulated Dr Kaur on her remarkable achievement and encouraged her to continue pursuing cutting-edge research for the benefit of the state and the nation.

Dr MIS Gill, Dean of Postgraduate Studies, and Dr CS Aulakh, Dean, College of Agriculture, commended her for bringing laurels to the university.

Dr Parveen Chhuneja, Director of the Gurdev Singh Khush Institute, and Dr Yogesh Vikal, Director of the School of Agricultural Biotechnology, reaffirmed their commitment to providing students with world-class facilities and expert guidance to foster high-quality research.

Dr Pavneet Kaur, Ph.D. scholar at the