Tenure as Founder Director: 05.09.1967 to 26.05.1980

Dr. Gurcharan Singh Randhawa was born on March 19, 1923, in Taran, Amritsar District, Punjab. He served as the Founder Director of the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR), Bangalore, from September 1967 to May 1980 — when the institute was established under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

Qualifications

• M.Sc. (Agriculture) in Horticulture — Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute, Lyallpur (1945)
• M.Sc. (Agriculture) in Horticulture — University of Toronto, Canada (1947)
• Ph.D. — Michigan State University, USA (1949)

Career History

• Assistant Professor of Horticulture, IARI, New Delhi
• Horticulturist, IARI, New Delhi (1956)
• First Professor of Horticulture, Post Graduate School, IARI (1958)
• Head, Division of Horticulture, IARI (1959–1960)
• Deputy Agricultural Commissioner, Government of India / ICAR (1964)
• Founder Director, IIHR, Bangalore (September 1967 – May 1980)

Research Contributions

Dr. Randhawa specialised in grape improvement, plant growth regulators, taxonomy including chemo-taxonomy, and nutritional studies in banana. He authored over 200 scientific papers published in leading Indian and international journals. He guided 16 doctoral and 20 M.Sc. students during his distinguished academic and research career.

Professional Roles

• Member, ICAR Scientific Panel on Horticulture
• Chairman, Working Group on Horticulture, National Commission of Agriculture
• Chairman, Working Group on Viticulture in South-East Asia, ISHS
• Secretary, Indian Academy of Horticultural Sciences
• Secretary, Horticultural Society of India (1955)
• Member, Standing Finance Committee of ICAR (1975–1977)

Awards & Recognition

• Grant Gold Medal (1975)
• Captained India's Hockey Team in New Zealand and Australia (1955)
• Member of Dhyan Chand Hockey Team touring Afghanistan (1952)