Last Updated: August 01, 2013

Our Vice Chancellor

Dr. Shyam Kumar Sharma

Vice-Chancellor,

CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya,

Palampur, Distt. Kangra (HP) - 176061

Telephone No. Office: +91 1894 230521

Resi.: +91 1894 230522

Fax No. +91 1894 230465

Email: vc@hillagric.ac.in

Dr. Shyam Kumar Sharma, a distinguished farm scientist, has joined as Vice-Chancellor of CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University, on July 06, 2010. He is tenth regular Vice-Chancellor of the University and has the privilege to serve this University in different capacities for three decades. Prior to his new assignment, Dr. Sharma was holding the position of Director, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resource(NBPGR), Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR), New Delhi.
A well decorated scientist with several International and National awards, Dr.Sharma brings with him professional expertise of around 34 years. The new Vice-Chancellor combines in him a range of virtues, a researcher, development programme designer, manager, efficient fund-raiser, implementation strategist and institutional leader with academic background in Crop Improvement, Biotechnology and Plant Genetic Resource Management. He has played important advisory role in planning and implementation of several advance research programmes of the country by virtue of being Chairman and member of several Research Programme Advisory Committees of major funding agencies like DBT and DST.
Born on 2 March, 1951 at village Kohala (Jwalamukhi) in Kangra district, Dr.Sharma had his early education from Govt. Sr. Secondary School, Nadaun and completed his B.Sc Agriculture (Honours)from H.P. University, Shimla in 1971.He obtained his M.Sc and Ph.D.in Genetics from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, N.Delhi. He had an excellent academic career and was awarded Junior & Senior Research Fellowship as well as Golden Jubilee Medal of the ICAR. Dr. Shyam Kumar Sharma started his career as Scientist at Central Potato Research Institute in the year 1976 and shifted to H.P. Agriculture University as Assistant Plant Breeder in 1980.Then he worked as Associate Professor(1982-1990), Professor(1990-2002) and was appointed as Programme Director, Advanced Centre of Hill Bio-resources & Biotechnology in the year 2002. He was selected as the Dean, College of Basic Sciences in July, 2003 where he worked till his selection as Director, NBPGR in the year 2006.
As Director of NBPGR, he held the national responsibility for acquisition and management of indigenous and exotic plant genetic resources and to carry out related research for sustainable growth of agriculture. Besides, he also supervised National Research Centre on DNA Fingerprinting as Project Director. He was also responsible for monitoring the All India Coordinated Programme on Under-utilized crops and supervising International linkage with CG centres, International organizations and more than 100 countries in the area of Plant Genetic Resource Management.
He has won several International and National fellowships and awards like Commonwealth Post Doctoral Fellowship(1982),Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship(1993),Marie Curie European Commission Fellowship(1994), Royal Society-INSA International Collaborated award U.K (2002), Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences(2004),National Academy of Sciences(2008) Rashtriya Udyog Ratan Award(2009),etc. Dr. Shyam Kumar Sharma is office bearer or member of around four dozen professional bodies. He has the honor to Chair, Project Steering Committee of FAO Project 'Capacity building and regional collaboration for enhancing the conservation and sustainable use of Plant Genetic Resources in Asia (2009-11)', Chair - South Asia Network in Plant Genetic Resources (2006-2011), Member, International Steering Committee of 'Global Information System on Germplasm', Bioversity International, Rome, Italy (2008-2011),etc.
He has more than 175 research publications to his credit in renowned journals in addition to books, monographs, popular articles, reviews and book chapters. He has guided and supervised 4 Ph. D and 8 M.Sc students. In connection with his professional obligations, he has visited 15 countries like U.K., Japan, Italy, Republic of Korea, etc.
A thorough professional, Dr. Shyam Kumar Sharma is humility personified. The University community has widely welcomed his appointment as Vice-Chancellor.