Professor Khem Singh Gill, who powered the Green Revolution, passes away

LUDHIANA: Green Revolution pioneer Professor Khem Singh Gill, a former vice-chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, passed away here on Tuesday morning. He was 89.
He breathed his last at the Hero DMC Heart Centre here and is survived by two sons, including former Sikh hardliner Ranjit Singh Kukki, and a daughter.
Prof Gill, who was the PAU V-C between 1989 and 1993, was instrumental in the success of Green Revolution and was honoured with a Padma Bhushan in 1993.
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh expressed grief over Gill’s demise. “Deeply anguished to hear the passing away of Dr Khem Singh Gill. A leading academic, geneticist and former vice chancellor of PAU, he will always (be) remembered for his contribution to the green revolution. RIP,” the CM tweeted.
PAU V-C Baldev Singh Dhillon described Prof Gill as an illustrious human being, a dedicated agricultural researcher and an administrator par excellence. “He was one of the pillars of PAU who served as the head of the department of plant breeding; dean of the College of Agriculture; director of extension education; director of research and the V-C of PAU. Such persons are rare in this world,” he said. “He was a great scientist and teacher. PAU and I will personally miss Prof Gill,” he stated.
Prof Gill did his bachelors in agriculture from Khalsa College, Amritsar, in 1949 and then masters in genetics and plant breeding in 1952. He was one of the nuclear staff when PAU was established in 1962. He was also the first scientist to be sent abroad for research by PAU.
After completing his PhD on linseeds from the University of California, he returned to India in 1966 to take over as a professor and head, department of genetics at PAU, at the Hisar campus. On May 25, 1968, Prof Gill was appointed as the head, department of plant breeding and became then PAU V-C Mohinder Singh Randhawa’s key associate.
Prof Gill’s prowess in building the wheat programme and developing more than 30 varieties of wheat, pearl millet and other crops was an add-on to Green Revolution progressing in Punjab and India. The recommendation/release of WL 711 variety of wheat by Prof Gill in Punjab and the rest of India; and launching of semi-dwarf, high-yielding varieties of wheat made Punjab the ‘wheat granary of India’. As a result, Punjab today produces 21% India’s wheat and 8.5% of its rice. The Farmers' Service Centre at PAU is named after Dr Gill.