REMEMBERING DR MOHINDER SINGH RANDHAWA (02.02.1909–03.03.1986)
Deviating from the ongoing discussion in rookie assistant professor Paul Singh Sidhu’s room in 1981, Dr Mohinder Singh Randhawa suddenly said “Handa! do you know this boy? He is the first student of PAU to receive two gold medals.” I was pleasantly surprised that he remembered the 1972 convocation when he had patted on my shoulder as he left the auditorium. Accompanied by architect Handa, he was reviewing the progress of soil science museum.
VICE-CHANCELLOR
Civil servant, botanist, historian, and art and culture promoter Randhawa was the second Vice -Chancellor (VC) of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) from 1968 to 1976. There were only four main buildings — Thapar Hall, Agriculture College, P.G. Building and Agricultural Engineering College — when he became the PAU helmsman. He guided the lay-out and landscaping of the once verdant campus. Much of the physical infrastructure was developed during his time. In October 1969, the Punjabi students were forced by the Haryanavis to leave Hisar campus, although the erstwhile PAU (with three campuses at Ludhiana, Hisar and Palampur) was legally trifurcated in 1970. Almost overnight, Veterinary College and several post-graduate programmes were started at Ludhiana due to his stature, leadership, and decisiveness. Before shifting to the present premises, Home Science and Basic Sciences Colleges operated from Agriculture College Building.
To meet the workforce needs of fast expanding agriculture and animal husbandry sectors, admission capacity was increased, and new programmes were launched. Research activities were expanded with liberal funding by Punjab Government and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). To strengthen the third pillar of agriculture knowledge triangle, district-level Farm Advisory Services were operationalised.
Faculty strength was augmented by about 35% to cater to the needs of the expanded education, research, and technology dissemination programmes. Another 25% were recruited as clerks, technicians, and other supporting staff.
Following in the footprints of successful Founder VC P N Thapar, Randhawa operated from Chandigarh camp office, focusing on broad policy framework, institutional architecture, and fund mobilization. Except for the university level officers, all selections were decided by the committees comprising Deans, Directors, Dept. Heads, and external experts. Financial authority and decision-making remained decentralised. Punjab Chief Ministers treated him with respect and understanding.
CRADLE OF GREEN REVOLUTION: PAU developed new seeds/breeds and cost-effective technologies for raising productivity, intensification of cropping, and expansion of dairy and poultry. These were mainstreamed through the state extension system and promptly adopted by the farmers. Punjab emerged as the Bread Basket of India and PAU as the Cradle of Green Revolution. That was the golden era of the University.
With technology in the driving seat, Green Revolution was a trilogy of technology, services and policies moving in unison to transform Punjab agriculture. PAU produced a documentary film ‘The Founders of the Green Revolution in India’, around the time Randhawa received Padma Bhushan, not only ignoring the role of policies and services but also blindsiding some ‘real founders’ like D S Athwal, S S Grewal, and C. Subramaniam. ‘Self-congratulation’ started taking precedence over ‘objective analysis’, which should be the hallmark of successful organisations. A decade later, Randhawa’s concern was obvious when he wrote “It seems the place has gone to sleep” in the visitor book of Gangian Fruit Research Station near his ancestral village Bodlan.
OTHER REMARKABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Joining the Indian Civil Service (ICS) in 1934, Randhawa served in six districts of the United Provinces, becoming Secretary, Imperial Council of Agricultural Research in 1945. He was Deputy Commissioner of Delhi from 1946 to 1949, providing food and shelter to refugees from West Punjab. As Additional Director General (ADG)/DG (Rehabilitation), and subsequently as Development Commissioner and Commissioner Rehabilitation, he settled lakhs of refugee farmers in Punjab. As Chief Commissioner, Chandigarh Union Territory, he was instrumental in its landscaping, and establishing Government Museum and Art Gallery, Punjab Arts Council and Rose Garden. He practically imparted the character and soul to the City Beautiful. He guided setting up of Anglo Sikh War Memorial and landscaping of Punjab Tourism hotels.
As Vice President [equivalent to now Director General (DG)] ICAR and Additional Secretary (1955–1960) and Special Secretary (1964–66) Food and Agriculture, Government of India, and DG High Yielding Variety Programme, Randhawa had prepared the ground for Green Revolution.
NOT STRONG IN RIGOUR: Randhawa devoted his life to improving farmer livelihoods, strengthen agriculture technology system, enrich social milieu, and document history of agriculture, art, and culture. In his life time, he was regarded as a Colossus. Perhaps it was partly due to his popularity among some Punjabi litterateurs, inasmuch as Gulzar Sandhu gave him the sobriquet Punjab da Chhewan Dariya, the sixth river of Punjab. Among his peers, however, he was regarded as a thinly-spread, well-intentioned administrator, but not very rigorous in policy formulation and execution. The ICS authors of two books ‘Commitment My Style’ and ‘Bitter Sweet: Governance of India in Transition’, which describe developments in Punjab and Indian agriculture from 1945 to 1975, thought it prudent to ignore him, avoiding unflattering comments.
LOSING MERITOCRACY AND STRATEGIC FOCUS: As stern gate keeper, Founder VC Thapar had ensured that merit in national level competition was the sole determinant of recruitments. Despite Randhawa largely continuing with this policy, massive expansion of human resources was bound to dilute the meritocracy focus. His kind-heartedness was exploited by some not-so-meritorious persons, planting seeds of mediocrity in this island of excellence. In one extreme case, the Registrar managed to appoint the person placed at second position by ignoring the best candidate placed at number one by the selection panel. Not surprisingly, some brilliant non-Punjabi scientists left PAU. This was unthinkable in Thapar era.
Expansion of some programmes and departments/units peripheral to the centrality of agriculture and animal husbandry, was at the cost of reduced fiscal and other resources for the core activities. This initiated weakening of the strategic focus on areas of relevance, opportunity, and comparative advantage for the future of Punjab agriculture.
Randhawa inherited from Thapar a battery of competent and upright scientist administrators. Tendency of sometimes soaking adulation, resulted in him unwittingly preferring some submissive, mediocre yes men over meritorious upright scientists who had the capacity to tell what was in the best interests of PAU. Post-retirement, he supported a person of somewhat modest calibre as PAU VC, ignoring more capable, upright, and merit-promoting administrators.
NOT ESTABLISHING SUCCESSION-PLANNING BENCHMARK: Despite his iconic stature, Randhawa did not establish the norms and operational modalities for smooth transition to the successor VC. Guidelines for setting up a Search Committee for identifying the new VC six months before the expiry of the term should have been codified in the PAU Statutes. He was hoping for the third term. Eventually, Registrar H S Aujla assumed current duty charge. Forty six years later, ad-hocism rules. Today (30 June 2022), PAU has completed one year in agonising in-progress transition. Fund-starved Cradle of Green Revolution has become a marginal player in Punjab agriculture.
Building on the strong foundations laid by his predecessor, Randhawa steered PAU objectively, transparently, and passionately for larger public good and glory. With the momentum gained under his stewardship, the University continued to perform well for the next 15 years.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
In recognition of his remarkable contributions, Dr M S Randhawa received numerous awards and honours, including Padma Bhushan, Innovator in Agriculture Honour, Panjab University Robe of Honour, Grant Gold Medal by Royal Agro–Horticultural Society, and INSA Silver Jubilee Commemoration Medal.
