Education

Positions held

Major university level administrative responsibilities while in service:

1.

Convener IPR Cell, Punjab Agricultural University (July 2003 to October 2006). (Established IPR Cell at PAU).

2.

Convener IP Advisory & Technology Commercialization Committee, Punjab Agricultural University

(Nov. 2006 to 31.10.2007).

3.

Member Academic Council, Punjab Agricultural University, (2001-2003).

4.

Member Board of Studies, College of Basic Sciences & Humanities (1998- 2003).

5.

Member Secretary, Institutional Biosafety Committee, Punjab Agricultural University (July 2000 to Feb. 2003).

Made IBSC functional at PAU and actively helped the university in IBSC meetings and organizing other activities including organizing the seminars etc. up to October 31, 2007.

Honors & Awards

Foundation day award of Punjab Agricultural University (1995)

National Fellowship of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (1995-1998)

VP Gokhle Award in Plant Pathology by Maharashtra Association for Cultivation of Science (2000)

Peer recognition:

 1.

Member Research Advisory Committee of National Research Centre for Mushrooms (2003-2006).

 2.

Member Research Advisory Committee of National Wheat Programme (2008-2011).

3.

Member Quinquinial Review Team of Indian Council of Agricultural Research to review the work of National

Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources. (2008).

4.

Member National Task Force on Agricultural Biotechnology (2003-2006).

5.

Member National Committee on revision of course curriculum in Genetics and Biotechnology for M.Sc. and Ph.D

programmes in Agricultural Universities.

6.

Invitee to the Ministry of Agriculture, Federal Republic of Nigeria to make a presentation on Green Revolution in

India (February 2008).

Teaching Assignments

 1.

Supervised the research work of 28 post graduate students majoring in Genetics/Plant Breeding (One of theses received Jawahar Lal Nehru Award of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for outstanding contribution to Agricultural Research)

 2.

Developed and Taught a good number of PG and UG courses in Genetics and Biotechnology at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana since 1978.

Research Experience

Have worked on Genetics of Host-Parasite relationships in different crop-pathogen systems for nearly 32 years. Some important research leads are given below:

1

Established the genetic basis of resistance to leaf rust of wheat in the Indian sub-continent.

2.

Carried out basic genetic studies including the location of rust resistance genes on to chromosomes in wheat using conventional as well as molecular techniques. Identified and designated two novel wheat leaf rust resistance genes Lr48 and Lr49 for the first time from an Asian country in 2000. Before this only Canada, Australia, USA and England could do it.

3.

Developed wheat breeding lines having either of the leaf rust resistance genes Lr24/Lr28/Lr37 in combination with stripe rust resistance from a European cultivar Capelle Desprez using molecular marker assisted selection. This work was funded by DBT. Another project with me focused on incorporation of either of the stripe rust resistance genes Yr10/Yr15 into PBW343 and HD2733 in combination with either of the leaf rust resistance genes Lr35/Lr37. My third project (funded jointly by SDC and DBT) under Indo-Swiss Collaboration in Biotechnology focused on incorporation of leaf rust resistance genes Lr15 and Lr34 in NI5439, a wheat variety commonly grown in Central and Peninsular India. A large number of lines out of this work will enter the State/National trials during 2010-11 wheat season.

4.

Mapped nearly 10 leaf rust and stripe rust resistance genes in wheat using SSR markers under another DBT funded project.

5.

Identificatied novel genes for resistance to Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) and White Backed Plant Hopper (WBPH). Studied pathogenic variation in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae and virulence variation in WBPH populations from North India.

6.

Collected and characterized about 900 accessions of aromatic rice from within and outside the country and catalogued this information with assistance from National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources.

Research projects handled so far

Handled following 18 externally funded research projects during my carrier in PAU

International linkages

Participated in the ACIAR-ICAR collaborative research project “Genetics and breeding for rust resistance in wheat” (1986-1991)

Partner in SDC (Swedish Development & Cooperation Agency) - DBT (Department of Biotechnology, Indian Government) funded project on rust resistance in wheat.

Developed an Indo-Australian research project on wheat entitled, “Molecular marker technologies for faster wheat breeding in India” during 2005-07 with the help of Australian scientists from University of Sydney. The project is in operation since April 2008 and it is funded by ACIAR.

Publications

Nearly 250 research papers/presentations/abstracts in peer reviewed scientific journals and conference proceedings. List of only selected publications is attached.