Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
PAU bids emotional farewell to Dr. Ashok Kumar on his superannuation
Babushahi Bureau
Ludhiana, January 30, 2023: The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, bid adieu to the Additional Director of Extension Education and Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, and former Additional Director of Research, Dr Ashok Kumar, at the Farmers’ Service Centre here today.
Dr. Ashok Kumar, who is also celebrating his 60th birthday today, expressed gratitude to the faculty, staff and colleagues for support and cooperation throughout his career at the university.
Armed with a B.Tech in Agricultural Engineering from PAU in 1984, Dr Ashok Kumar joined the IIT Kharagpur to pursue his M.Tech in Post-Harvest Engineering in 1987.
His first stint as an engineer was with Oswal Agro Furane Ltd. (World’s largest plant for processing of paddy and by-products) as Assistant Manager from 1987 -1980, after which he joined P.A.U. in May 1990 as Assistant Research Engineer and was promoted as Associate Professor in 2002 after completing Ph.D in Processing and Agricultural Structures. Dr Ashok Kumar was appointed as Professor in 2009.
Apart from heading the Department of Processing & Food Engineering, he has taught various UG and PG courses counting upto a total of 219 credit hours. He has guided 17 B.Tech, 8 M.Tech and 4 Ph.D students as Major Advisor and 35 M.Tech and 14 Ph.D students as Co-Advisor.
Dr Ashok Kumar’s research work has been recognized in the development of modified atmosphere packaging, evaporative cooled storage and drying of agricultural produce.
He has published 42 research papers, 5 technical papers and one review paper in various international and national journals, 7 full papers and 31 abstracts in different seminar and symposia proceedings in addition to delivering lectures and creating content for students as well as researchers.
With his name in the list of Marquis’ Who’s Who of the world, the scientist has been working on ground, steering the students for industry placements. He attended the Russian-Indian Agricultural Programme at MSAU, Moscow in June 2007 and organized 4 international training courses for faculty and students of MSAU and MSUEE, Moscow. He was awarded Shiksha Rattan Puraskar in 2010 and held designations of repute in national and international societies.
He is also presently the Member expert, State Food Processing Development Council, MOFPI, Department of Food Processing.
Not the one to shy from duty, Dr Ashok Kumar has been the man on the move, meeting deadlines, setting precedents and clearing administrative tasks with a calm demeanour.
The farewell ceremony was hosted by Additional Director of Extension Education, Dr GS Buttar, along with faculty and staff members who shared their account of working with the scientist. Dr Ashok Kumar and his wife, Mrs Asha Kumar were later felicitated with the customary PAU souvenirs.