Ludhiana, May 23, 2025 (Yes Punjab News)
Dr Pardeep Kumar Chhuneja, former Professor and Dean, Postgraduate Studies (retd.), Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has been conferred with the “Lifetime Achievement Award in Apiculture,” by the Punjab Governor, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria at the inaugural function of World Bee Day, held at Kalkat Bhawan, Mohali, recently.
This award has been bestowed in recognition of Dr Chhuneja’s outstanding contributions and achievements in the discipline of Apiculture at the state, national and international level.
Punjab’s Kissan Vikas Chamber had organized a national level workshop on “Apiculture” on the auspicious occasion of World Bee Day, where Shri Kataria was the Chief Guest, while Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor of PAU, was the Guest of Honour.
The event, besides witnessing the participation of beekeepers, farmers and extension functionaries, was also attended by several higher level officials from allied departments from Delhi and Punjab, and from various universities.
Holding 39 years of vast experience of working in Apiculture, Dr Chhuneja is currently the member of ICAR-PAMC for AICRP on Honey Bees.
He is the Chairman of Apiary Industry Sectional Committee of BIS, and is also representing India in ISO in its all the working groups on Apiculture.
Dr Chhuneja is very actively engaged in apicultural activities at national as well as international level, even after his superannuation and is working on various apiculture assignments with ISO, BIS, NAAS, ICAR, etc.
Additionally, he is guiding various public sector and private Universities, NGOs and Apiculture Industry, and beekeepers’ associations and individual beekeepers, with great enthusiasm and zeal.
A former Head, Department of Entomology, PAU, Dr Chhuneja is a recipient of Distinguished Professor Chair Award by PAU, and Commendation Letter by ICAR. Besides, he was selected by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) to prepare strategy paper and present it as the lead speaker at Brain Storming Workshop on Apiculture in 2023.
Dr Chhuneja has also been the member of ICAR’s Quinquiennial Review Team (QRT) for All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Honey Bees and Pollinators, and reviewed the research work of ICAR’s 27 centres spread over whole of the country.
Currently, he is the President of Entomological Society of India (NZ). Dr Chhuneja was also the member of Dr Anupam Verma Committee of GOI on toxicity of neonicotinoids against honey bees; he was external technical expert for ICAR’s nation-wide project on “Assessment of Neonicotinoids against Honey Bees.”
Besides, Dr Chhuneja has served as Technical Consultant in Govt Flagship Trilateral Cooperation Programme among India-Africa-USA for apicultural development in Kenya.
During his service career at PAU, he has handled 12 research projects including Team of Excellence project of the ICAR under NATP on “Apiculture” and the prestigious Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre (IBDC/CoE) project funded by NBB (GOI), awarded twice. He has 33 national level recommendations in apiculture to his credit.
Dr Chhuneja has published nearly 150 research papers in the journals of international and national repute; 11 review papers on Apiculture, 39 book chapters, and 33 full papers and 176 abstracts in the proceedings of various scientific fora. His contributions towards the development of the apiculture are immense.
He has been instrumental in organizing 108 apicultural trainings for farmers and beekeepers, and 12 advance apicultural trainings for State Agricultural University scientists. Dr Chhuneja has also organized 35 apicultural workshops; participated in 308 trainings and delivered more than 2,000 lectures.
He has handled eight funded training projects in Apiculture; delivered more than 80 radio and TV talks; written 208 extension articles in journals, magazines and newspapers; authored three books in Punjabi, and prepared 10 training manuals and three CDs.
As Director, he has also organized two 21-day winter schools in apiculture and two winter schools on other aspects of Entomology.
Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, congratulated Dr Chhuneja for receiving the outstanding award and wished him the best in all his future endeavours.
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