Khem Singh Gill

Khem Singh Gill (1 September 1930 – 17 September 2019) was an Indian academic, geneticist, plant breeder and Vice-Chancellor of the Punjab Agricultural University. He was known for his contributions to the Green Revolution in India. Instrumental for breeding new strains of wheat, linseed, and sesame, he was the author of the book Research on wheat and triticale in the Punjab along with several additional articles on the subject. He was also the vice-president of The Kalgidhar Trust and The Kalgidhar Society, Baru Sahib, which is one of the largest Sikh charities. A Sant Teja Singh Chair Professor in Sikhism of the Eternal Global University and a founding fellow of The World Academy of Sciences, he was a recipient of Rafi Ahmad Kidwai Memorial Prize, Team Research Award of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), FICCI Award, ICAR Golden Jubilee Award and Silver Jubilee Award of the Indian Society of Oilseeds Research. In 1992, the Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honor of the Padma Bhushan for his contributions to science.

Biography Born 1 September 1930 at Kaleke, a small village in the Punjab State of India (presently in Moga district), Khem Singh Gill graduated in Agricultural Science (BSc) from Khalsa College, Amritsar in 1949 and secured his master's degree (MSc) from Punjab University in 1951. and many books, and Research on wheat and triticale in the Punjab. He served as its president until 1979, while remaining a loyal patron ever since. He was associated with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center as a member of its program committee and board of trustees (1988–93). Controversy surrounded Maken's alleged involvement in the massacres of Sikhs during the 1984 anti-Sikh genocide in New Delhi. Ranjit was convicted, despite his father's efforts, and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2003. His sentence was later commuted. Ranjit Singh Gill, after the release from incarceration, is involved in community and social development activities.