Baldev
Singh Dhillon

Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) since July 2011, is an internationally known scientist in plant breeding, genetics, and plant genetic resources. He joined PAU in 1974 as Assistant Maize Breeder and rose to the position of Director (Seeds) in 1995, and served as Director of Research from 2005-to 07. He also had a short stint at Guru Nanak Dev University (2007) as its Director of Research. He served the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (1998-2000) as Assistant Director-General and Director of the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (2000-05). He spent, all together, about nine years at the University of Hohenheim, Germany, as Research Fellow (1976-78, 1988-90) and as a Scientist (2007-11). He also worked for CIMMYT, Mexico (1993-94) as Associate Scientist.

Dhillon obtained his Ph.D. from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi; M.Sc. from PAU, and B.Sc. from Khalsa College, Amritsar. He has over 100 scientific publications in peer-reviewed international journals and books. In maize breeding programs at PAU, he contributed to developing 16 hybrid and composite varieties, including the first single cross, hybrid Paras released in India, 14 inbred lines, and three pairs of heterotic pools of maize.