Ludhiana, Oct. 15 -- Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has appointed Dr Harvinder Singh Dhaliwal as its new vice-chancellor, with the university's board of management approving his appointment at a meeting held on Wednesday. He will take charge on Thursday. An agricultural scientist with nearly 31 years of experience, Dhaliwal specialises in horticulture and fruit science. Born on May 1, 1962, and brought up in rural Mansa district, Dhaliwal's academic record includes a gold medal, merit certificates, scholarships and fellowships. He has also conducted advanced research on citrus improvement at the University of Florida in the United States. Dhaliwal has held key administrative positions at PAU, including dean of the College of Agriculture from 2013 to 2017, additional director of research for horticulture and director of extension education. His international collaborations include institutions in the US and Australia, focusing on citrus improvement and soil science. He established a leaf analysis laboratory and a nationally accredited virus-free nursery at PAU. As dean, Dhaliwal secured accreditation for all undergraduate programmes of the College of Agriculture, initiated the Institute of Agriculture at Bathinda and introduced five new academic programmes. His honours include the Punjab Sarkar Praman Patra in 2013, the Horticultural Society Fellowship in 2015 and the Hans Raj Pahwa Award for research, teaching and extension work. Dr Satbir Singh Gosal's four-year tenure as VC of PAU concluded on August 18, following which registrar Sukhjit Pal Singh took over as the acting VC. htc...