Ludhiana, Nov 23, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)
In a record-breaking accomplishment, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has become the first university in India to have nine students secure the prestigious Prime Minister Fellowship for Doctoral Research in a single year.
This extraordinary feat highlights PAU’s academic excellence, focus on research, and exceptional quality of teaching, reaffirming its position as a national leader in higher education and innovation.
The Prime Minister Fellowship, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative jointly promoted by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), aims to encourage young, talented scholars to pursue industry-relevant research.
The nine recipients, Aman Kumar, Ayush Gupta, Harvir Singh, Pardeep Beniwal, Rajwinder Kaur, Rashmita Saikia, Rutuparna Pati, Saatu Madhu, and Shivani Upadhyay, have brought immense pride to the university.
Lauding the unflinching dedication of the students, Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice- Chancellor, said, “You have made PAU proud with your stellar accolades. It is an extraordinary moment for PAU to have nine PM fellowships together in its kitty.
Behind every student’s great success, there is a devoted teacher who also must be given his due. This agri-varsity has always maintained student-friendly environment and been a beacon of hope, stimulation and encouragement for the students.
” Dr Gosal congratulated the fellowship recipients as well as their advisors on behalf of the PAU fraternity for putting in hard work for writing a winning proposal and application.
Dr Manav Indra Singh Gill, Dean, Post Graduate Studies, urged the faculty to identify industry for further such associations and provide amicable work environment to the awardees to conduct their research.
“Under this scheme, full-time Ph.D scholars get double the money that they would otherwise get for doing research. Maximum government fellowship in India at any academic or research institute is approximately Rs 36,400 per month, including House Rent Allowance (HRA) for SRF category,” informed Dr Gill.
“Under the Prime Minister’s Fellowship Scheme for doctoral research, the scholars get double the JRF/SRF as scholarship (as per applicable slabs),” he said.
“While one-half of this scholarship comes from the government, the second half comes from a partner company which also works closely with the candidate on the research project. The duration of the fellowship is four years,” he added.
