Sardara Singh Johal

Sardara Singh Johal, a famous Indian agriculture economist, writer, politician and presently the chancellor of the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda was born on 8th February 1928 in Layalpur (now in Pakistan). He did his schooling at the local village school. After securing his graduate (B.Sc.) and Post Graduate degrees (M.Sc.) in Agriculture and Agriculture Economics respectively from Punjab University, he continued his studies to obtain a master’s degree (M.A) in economics and, later, a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) from Punjabi University in 1952. He started his career the same year in agriculture and rural development in the hilly regions of Punjab where he worked for eight years before joining Punjab Agricultural University as an assistant professor and rose to the position of a professor and the Head of the Department of Economics and Sociology in 1965. Later on he remained Vice Chancellor of Punjabi University and Punjab Agricultural University before being appointed as the chancellor of the Central University of Punjab in 2012, thus becoming the first chancellor of the university.

He has chaired the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices. He is a former Director of the Central Board of Governors of the Reserve Bank of India and a former consultant to international bodies such as Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Bank and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 2004, for his contributions to Agriculture and agriculture education. Punjab University conferred the degree of D.Litt. (Honoris causa) on him in 2005. He also received honorary doctorates from Punjabi University and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) appointed him as the National Professor of Eminence and Punjab Sahit Akademi inducted him as a life member. He is also a recipient of Chief Khalsa Diwan Centenary Award, Punjab Agricultural University Golden Jubilee Outstanding Alumni Award, Mahan Punjabi Award of the Professor Mohan Singh Foundation and Dr. Madan Gold Medal Award. Although, he was one of the founders of the People’s Party of the Punjab along with S. Manpreet Singh Badal, his interest in the politics is limited to improving the agriculture economy of his home state. His articles, reports and writings are mostly aimed at valuable suggestions in this regard. Some of his reports such as Rationalization 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, which are reported to have helped in Government policy formulations. Besides, he has published over 200 articles in national and international journals. He has also documented his own life in an autobiography, ‘Ranga di Gagar’, written in Punjabi language, which has since been translated into Hindi and Urdu languages. He is a role-model not only in his own field, but also among the Sikh circle as he takes keen interest in the Sikh affairs aimed at promoting the welfare of the community. That is why not only political parties including the latest Aam Aadmi Party approach him for his views and suggestions, he is also a much sought after person among the Sikh circles and is generally invited on Sikh stages for soliciting his wise counsel on various issues. The great role-model lives in Ludhiana.

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Sardara Singh Johal