Dr. S. S. Johl

Chancellor

Central University of Punjab, Bathinda

Internationally acclaimed agriculture economist, policy-adviser and PadamBhushan Awardee, Dr.Sardara Singh Johl has been appointed as the first Chancellor of the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (CUPB) for a tenure of five years by the President of India. Former Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala and Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Prof. Johl, with his immense experience in research and administration in various capacities, would bring immense benefit to the University set up in a relatively backward area of the state. During his long and illustrious career, Dr.Johl, former National Professor of Agricultural Economics, served as the Chairman Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, Government of India,Member Economic Advisory Council for four Prime Ministers of India,Director Central Governing Board of Reserve Bank of India and Vice-Chairman Punjab State Planning Board in addition to numerous other prestigious positions he adorned with unmatched clarity of vision and astute understanding of the ground realities. In recognition of his professional contributions, concerns and efforts for social and cultural uplift of the society, many prestigious institutions have given him their highest awards and fellowships. He was conferred the degrees of D.Lit (HonorisCausa) by Punjabi University Patiala and Punjab University,Chandigarh and D.Sc. (HonorisCausa) by Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. ICAR designated him the Professor of Eminence in Economics. National Academy of Agriculture and Punjab Academy of Sciences honoured him with the Fellowships of their academies. Punjabi SahitAkademi bestowed life membership on him.He has the honour of serving as President, Indian Society of Agricultural Economics;President of Agricultural Economics Research Association; President, Indian Society for Agricultural Marketing and President, Punjabi SahitAkademi. He has also served as consultant to FAO, World Bank and Economic Commission for West Asia in many countries. In addition to his contribution as a scholar and policy adviser, Dr.Johl is an avid reader and litterateur whose interests go beyond economics and planning.

Born on 2nd August, 1928, in a farming family in district Lyalpur (now in Pakistan), Dr S. S. Johl had his early education in his village school. He had his B. Sc. (Agri.), M. Sc. (Agri. Eco.), M.A. (Eco.) and Ph. D. (Eco.) from Panjab University. After working for more than eight years for rural and agricultural development in hill areas, he joined Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana as an Assistant Professor and became the Professor and Head, Department of Economics and Sociology in 1965. He has been actively involved with research and planning, having seven academic and research books and more than 200 articles published in various reputed national and international journals to his credit. His Punjabi non-fictional autobiographical book “Ranga di Gagar” was widely acclaimed by both the ordinary readers and the scholars. It has been translated into many languages including Hindi and Urdu.

Dr.Johl, as an organic intellectual, has been actively involved with all the major social issues and movements at the state as well as the national level and has been striving to make a difference to the lives of struggling masses with his positive and proactive interventions at academic, administrative and social levels. His commissioned reports on ‘Rationalisation of Electricity Tariff in Punjab’, ‘Diversification of Agriculture in Punjab’, ‘Structural Adjustments in Cropping Patterns for Growth and Productivity in Punjab’ and ‘Structural Reforms in Agricultural Sector for Productivity and Growth in India’ are regarded as important policy contributions at state as well as the national level.