Khem Singh Gill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Khem Singh Gill
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| Born | 1 September 1930 Kaleke, Moga District, Punjab, India
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| Died | 17 September 2019 (aged 89) |
| Occupation | Geneticist Plant breeder Academic |
| Years active | Since 1951 |
| Known for | Genetics Plant breeding |
| Spouse(s) | Surjit Kaur Gill |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Padma Bhushan Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award ICAR Team Research Award FICCI Award ICAR Golden Jubilee Award ISOR Silver Jubilee Award |
Khem Singh Gill (born September 1, 1930 – died September 17, 2019) was an important Indian scientist. He was a geneticist and plant breeder. This means he studied how living things inherit traits and how to grow better plants. He also served as the head of the Punjab Agricultural University. Dr. Gill is famous for his big role in India's Green Revolution. This was a time when India greatly increased its food production. He helped create new types of wheat, linseed, and sesame. He also wrote many books and articles about his work. Dr. Gill was also involved with The Kalgidhar Trust, a large charity that helps people. For his amazing work in science, the Indian government gave him the Padma Bhushan award in 1992.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Khem Singh Gill was born on September 1, 1930. His village, Kaleke, is in the Moga District of Punjab, India. He studied Agricultural Science at Khalsa College, Amritsar. He earned his first degree in 1949. Then, he got his master's degree from Punjab University in 1951.
Starting His Career
Dr. Gill began working as a research assistant. He worked for the Department of Agriculture in Punjab. Later, he joined Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). There, he worked as an Assistant Oilseed Breeder. In 1963, he took a break to study more. He went to the University of California in the United States.
Becoming a Doctor of Genetics
In 1966, he earned his PhD in genetics. After that, he returned to India. He rejoined Punjab Agricultural University. He became a professor and led the Department of Genetics from 1966 to 1968.
Leadership at Punjab Agricultural University
Dr. Gill held many important roles at PAU. He led the Department of Plant Breeding from 1968 to 1979. He then became the Dean of the College of Agriculture from 1979 to 1983. After that, he was the Director of Research from 1983 to 1987. He also served as the Director of Extension Education from 1987 to 1989. Finally, in 1990, he became the Vice Chancellor of PAU. He held this top position until 1993.
Improving Plant Breeding
During his time at PAU, Dr. Gill helped the Department of Plant Breeding become a "Center of Excellence." This means it became a leading place for research. He also helped start new research programs. These programs were at the Hisar and Ludhiana campuses. He also led the state government's Wheat Improvement Program.
Developing New Plant Varieties
Dr. Gill's research helped create better types of plants. These included improved cultivars (plant varieties) of linseed, sesame, and wheat. He also worked on improving pearl millet, barley, and triticale. He wrote over 475 scientific papers and many books. His books include Research on wheat and triticale in the Punjab. He also guided 17 PhD students and 8 master's students in their research.
Contributions to Organizations
In 1974, Dr. Gill started the Crop Improvement Society of India. He was its president until 1979. He also worked with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. He was a member of their program committee and board. He also helped evaluate important agricultural programs. These included programs in India and the Philippines. From 1988 to 1994, he was the Senior Vice President of the International Triticale Association.
Helping The Kalgidhar Trust
Dr. Gill was a founding board member of the Kalgidhar Trust. This is a charity that helps people. He worked closely with Baba Iqbal Singh. Since 1994, Dr. Gill was the chairman of 129 Akal Academies. These schools are run by The Kalgidhar Trust in rural areas of Northern India.
Scientific Achievements
Dr. Khem Singh Gill worked with Norman Borlaug in the 1960s. Norman Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize. Together, they developed new types of wheat. Under Dr. Gill's leadership, the Department of Plant Breeding became known worldwide.
The Green Revolution
His main focus was improving wheat. Dr. Gill's excellent work helped create better wheat varieties. This greatly increased wheat production in Punjab and other parts of India and Pakistan. He was a key person in the Green Revolution in India. This revolution made India able to feed itself. It even allowed India to export grains to other countries. Dr. Gill wrote over 300 research papers and many books about his work.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Khem Singh Gill was recognized by many important groups. He was a founding fellow of The World Academy of Sciences in 1974. He was also a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (1981) and the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (1991). He was also a fellow of several other Indian agricultural societies.
Major Awards
In 1980, the Indian Council named him a National Professor of Eminence. In 2016, Eternal Global University gave him the Sant Teja Singh Chair Professorship in Sikhism.
Dr. Gill received the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award in 1976. This award is from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). ICAR honored him again in 1981 with the Team Research Award. He also received the FICCI Award in 1985. The United States Department of Agriculture honored him three times. He also received two Wheat Research Medals. These were from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.
Highest Civilian Honor
In 1992, the Government of India gave him the Padma Bhushan. This is one of India's highest civilian honors. In the same year, he received the Golden Jubilee Award from ICAR. He also received the Silver Jubilee Award in 1993. In 2015, Punjab Agricultural University gave him an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
See also
- Khalsa College, Amritsar
