Confers gold medals to meritorious students
Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla presided over the 14th Convocation of Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni, in Solan today. He conferred 12 gold medals, including 9 to girl students, along with 518 merit certificates and 855 degrees in horticulture and forestry.
Extending greetings to the graduates and their families, the Governor said the convocation marks not only academic achievement but also a renewed responsibility towards farmers, horticulturalists and the society as a whole. He appreciated the university’s initiatives in promoting high-value crops such as dragon fruit, avocado, blueberry, macadamia nut and coffee, and its efforts to advance natural farming by reducing chemical dependency.
Shukla commended the university’s robust research output and bulk of publications and awards besides extensive outreach programmes. He lauded its National recognition in medicinal plant research, bio-control and allied scientific fields, as well as the outstanding performance of students, particularly the girl students.
Referring to his statewide anti-drug campaign, the Governor urged youth to contribute proactively for drug-free. Encouraging graduates to uphold ethics, compassion and public service, he called upon them to contribute in economic advancement of the farming community.
Addressing on the occasion as special guest, Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Chairman of the Agricultural Scientist Selection Board, highlighted horticulture’s role in sustaining rural livelihoods and praised the university’s outreach through Krishi Vigyan Kendras and research stations. as Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and the BioE3 policy.
Vice-Chancellor Dr. Rajeshwar Chandel welcomed the Governor and presented the annual report. He shared that in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 rankings, the university secured 20th position among agricultural universities. In the Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) rankings it stood 11th in the Agriculture & Horticulture category. He reported that 3,766 extension activities benefited over 89,000 farmers, while 494 training programs reached more than 17,000 participants.
The Governor also released various university publications.
Registrar Sidharth Acharya proposed the vote of thanks.
