Over five decades ago, in 1960, the first agriculture university in the nation, the G.B.PantUniversity of Agriculture & Technology, was established at Pantnagar on the pattern of LandGrant Agriculture Universities of the United States. This was done on the premise that systematic education, research, and extension programs in agriculture and allied subjects were necessary to develop human capital as well as knowledge and technologies needed for the growth and development of the country, largely agrarian at that time. Pantvarsity, one of the most comprehensive agriculture universities in the country, over the past five decades has grown to be a formidable center for agriculture education, research, and development, and in many ways ushered India’s renaissance in agriculture education. During all these years, the university has worked hard to fulfill the expectations of the visionaries of the country to transform the agricultural scenario in India. Bharat Ratna, Late Dr. C.Subramanyam, the then Union Agriculture Minister and pioneer of Green Revolution in India, and who was instrumental in the establishment of the university, while addressing the 3rdconvocation of this university on April 7, 1966, has remarked that... “I am confident that when the history of agricultural education is written, this university will be remembered for having laid the foundation of a revolutionary era in agriculture education in India”…... . In this regard, it seems to be clear that the university has now produced almost 40,000 students who have flourished in India and elsewhere in the world, has earned the credibility as being ‘harbinger of the green revolution in the country and truly justified the blue print that was written by professor Hannah from the University of Illinois for agriculture universities in India, the vision held by Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru while dedicating the first agriculture university to the nation in1960 and the hard work of Bharat Ratna, Pt.
Govind Ballabh Pant in establishing the first agriculture university at Pantnagar. I greatly honor and appreciate the conscious efforts of all the visionaries, outstanding scientists, teachers, and alumni for taking many new initiatives in education, research, and extension that responded directly to the challenges and emerging needs of the nation. At the same time, the hard work of farmers and unstinted support of ICAR and State Govt. are greatly valued.